AArizona Daily Star Tucson, Arizona Friday, April 14, 1972 - Page 17
U.S. Group Loses Bid To Discuss Problems Of Chess Title Match
Americans Refuse To Post Guarantee
Amsterdam (AP) — The World Chess Federation rejected Thursday a request from the American Chess Federation for a telephone conference to iron out problems of the upcoming match between world champion Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union and American challenger Bobby Fischer.
Belgrade chess authorities said the match could not he held there because the U.S. federation would not put up a $35,000 guarantee that Fischer would appear. The American chess champion has been arguing over what he would be paid.
At the U.S. federation's headquarters in Newburgh, N.Y., Col. E.B. Edmondson, executive director, said he would try to contact the world unit's president anyway.
“I don't see how meaningful negotiations can be conducted when you can't make contact.” Edmondson said. “The whole thing is such a snarl of garbled communications at this point that I don't think anything has been handled very well on anyone's part.”
Asked about the U.S. federation's refusal to post the $35,000 bond requested by Belgrade authorities, Edmondson replied: “Its difficult to refuse an illegal demand. We don't recognize that there was such a demand.”
The Yugoslav chess organizers said that even if the bond was put up later, it would be too late to finish the technical preparations for the match in time, the World Chess Federation related.
According to the original agreement the match was to begin June 22 in Belgrade and move later to Reykjavik, Iceland.
