The Pensacola News Pensacola, Florida Thursday, April 06, 1972 - Page 4
Belgrade Reconsiders Chess Match
Belgrade (AP) — Belgrade may change its mind about refusing to stage the up-coming world chess championship match between Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union and Bobby Fischer of the United States provided the U.S. Chess Federation deposits a $35,000 guaranty against Fischer's nonappearance, a city spokesman said today.
“If the Americans agree to deposit $35,000 pledging that Fischer will arrive to play his match, we would be ready to get the entire machine rolling again,” organizer Aleksandar Matanovic said.
The newspaper Politika Ekspres said Matanovic stressed that efforts of Paul Marshall, Fischer's new representative, to get better financial terms for the American chess wizard are futile. “There is nothing we can talk about with him,” Matanovic said.
Fischer has agreed to abide by the decision of the International Chess Federation to play half the 24 title matches in Reykjavik, Iceland, and half in Belgrade but still is haggling over money.
Fischer's financial demands induced the Belgrade organizers early last week to cancel plans to hold the match starting June 22, as scheduled.
Fischer has insisted that all profits from the match after expenses, be divided equally between himself and Spassky. The original agreement called for 72 per cent of the $138,500 purse to be handed to the winner, with 28 per cent for the loser.
Matanovic told the Politika Ekspres that only an insurance policy against ill-health would be required from the Russian, the current world champion.
