New York Times, New York, New York Tuesday, February 15, 1972 - Page 30
Two Sites Chosen For Title Chess
Fischer Will Oppose Spassky in Belgrade and Reykjavik
Dr. Max Euwe of the Netherlands, president of the International Chess Federation, announced yesterday that the world championship match in which Bobby Fischer of the United States will oppose the defending champion, Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union, would be played partly in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, and partly in Reykjavik, Iceland.
According to his ruling, announced in Amsterdam, play would start in Belgrade not later than June 25 and would shift to Iceland after the first 12 games of the 24-game match.
Fischer refused to comment last night on Dr. Euwe's ruling, which was made after the sides each had designated four favored match sites without finding common ground.
Belgrade, Fischer's first choice, made the highest bid for the match, $152,000, to be divided five-eighths to the winner and three-eights to the loser. Reykjavik, Spassky's first choice, bid $125,000, and the total at stake will therefore be a midway figure, $138,500.
Spassky's choices seemed directed to obtaining climatic conditions comparable to his native Leningrad, and his alternative choices were in the Netherlands, France and Germany. Fischer's other selections were Montreal, Buenos Aires and another Yugoslav city, Sarajevo.
The conditions originally laid down provided for one veto by each side of Dr. Euwe's ruling. However, the Soviet officials did not submit a full list of 15 match sites in order. They said instead that all but their nominated four sites were unacceptable.
In the opinion of Dr. Euwe this was an exercise of the Soviet veto and no further veto power would be permitted. However, the Russians implied in a press release last week that they might not accept the World Chess Federation decision.
