ANew York Times, New York, New York Wednesday, April 12, 1972 - Page 41
Yugoslavia Says No To Top Chess Match
Belgrade, April 11 (AP)—Yugoslav chess officials said today that they would definitely not set up the championship match here between Bobby Fischer of the United States and Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union.
The statement followed an announcement by the International Chess Federation that the United States Chess Federation had not given a final answer on a requested $35,000 guarantee for Fischer to appear in Belgrade.
Col. Edmund E. Edmondson, head of the United States Chess Federation, said at his home in Newburgh, N.Y., last night that his federation had replied to the request for the guarantee and that the reply had been negative.
“We stated that the guarantee was illegal,” Colonel Edmondson said. It was not, he added, provided for in any regulations of the International Chess Federation or in any of the agreements made regarding the match. It also “denied the rights of the challenger [Fischer],” the colonel contended.
He said he had not received word from Yugoslavia that match officials there were definitely refusing to be host to the encounter.
“I've heard nothing from Yugoslavia in at least two weeks,” he said.
If the report of noncooperation is true, he added, “I would expect the next thing called for is further negotiations” between the players and the International Chess Federation.
