AThe Vancouver Sun Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Friday, April 21, 1972 - Page 74
Mexicans Offer $175,000 for Chess
Mexico City (UPI) — Mexico's leading television network reported today it has offered $175,000 in prize money to bail out the deadlocked world championship chess match between American Bobby Fischer and Russia's reigning champ Boris Spassky.
The offer to stage the match in Mexico was made in a telegram sent Thursday to the Hague, to Max Euwe, president of the World Chess Federation. Emilio Azcarraga, owner of Telesistema Mexicano the network which had the rights to the 1968 Olympics and the 1970 World Cup soccer tournament, said: “In benefit of world chess and with the support of Arturo Elizondo Garcia, president of the provincial chess federation, I will assume all obligations for the series between Spassky and Fischer and I offer $175,000 in prizes, plus the expenses to cover all matches which would be played in Mexico.”
Azcarraga made it clear he was bidding on all 24 of the championship games, not just half.
He said he was confident his bid would get full consideration even though it was a last-minute proposition.
The prize money offered by Azcarraga was the most offered to date by any prospective site. Belgrade, Yugoslavia, had offered $150,000 and Reykjavik, Iceland, $125,000.
