AThe Billings Gazette Billings, Montana Wednesday, April 05, 1972 - Page 37
Fischer Agrees To Chess Finals
Amsterdam (UPI) —American chess champion Bobby Fischer said Tuesday he would play in a world title match with Russian Boris Spassky at Reykjavik, Iceland, and Belgrade, Yugoslavia, starting June 22 under the financial terms discussed earlier.
Fischer had until Tuesday to accept or reject the money offer. In a telegram to organizers in Belgrade, Fischer said he would withdraw his objections.
However, officials in Belgrade said the match would be cancelled unless Fischer promised not to change his mind again.
An official of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) said in Amsterdam Fischer telegraphed match officials in Belgrade asking if they would agree to resume preparations for the June 22-July 18 match.
The Belgrade organizers said initially they had no reason to reconsider their decision to cancel preparations for the match but Belgrade chess officials said later the match would go ahead as scheduled if they received assurances from FIDE that Fischer would not change his mind again.
The match is scheduled to begin June 22 with 12 matches to be played in Belgrade.
Another set of 12 matches will be played in Reykjavik, ending July 18.
Under the terms of the agreement the two cities would offer a total prize money of $138,500. The winner would receive 62.5 per cent of the total and the loser, 37.5. Fischer later told the organizers he wanted a percentage of the proceeds from television and movie rights in addition to the prize money.
In reply, Belgrade said it was stopping preparations for the match.
