AThe Baltimore Sun Baltimore, Maryland Wednesday, April 19, 1972 - Page 3
Chess Clubs Fear Match in Jeopardy
Moscow (Reuter) — The Soviet Chess Federation said tonight that the world title match between the Soviet holder, Boris Spassky, and the American challenger, Bobby Fischer, is in jeopardy.
Its statement said Iceland's Chess Federation has “expressed doubts as to the possibility of holding the second half of the match in Reykjavik.”
Russians blame Fischer
The Dutch Chess Federation, according to its Soviet counterpart, has turned down the request by Max Euwe, Dutch president of the World Chess Federation, to take over the arrangements for the first half of the match, which Belgrade abandoned last week after a dispute over guarantees that Mr. Fischer would appear.
The Soviet statement, reported by Tass news agency, blamed Mr. Fischer and the World Federation leadership for the situation. “Fischer's endless whims and connivance by the World Federation placed in a predicament” those chess federations which had showed an interest in organizing the match, it said.
The Soviet Federation said it did not like Mr. Euwe's compromise decision to divide the match between two cities but was ready to abide by decisions taken.
Buck-passing charged
Mr. Euwe's comments after Belgrade announced that it could no longer play host to the first half of the match, due to begin June 22, showed a “desire to justify Robert Fischer's unseemly behavior … and to lay the blame on somebody else,” the Soviet group said.
