ANew York Times, New York, New York May 15, 1972 - Page 71
WNET Plans to Simulate Plays In Fischer's Bid for Chess Title by George Gent
Channel 13 is planning to carry a simulated play-by-play telecast of the world chess championship between Bobby Fischer of the United States and the present champion, Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union.
The 24-game series, set to open July 2 in Reykjavik, Iceland, will be carried by WNET/13 here and offered nationally to the Public Broadcasting Service, provided the station can raise sufficient funds for the costly transmission from Reykjavik.
Frank Leicht, vice president of program administration for Channel 13, confirmed yesterday that he had been working with Michael Chase, director of operations for the New York State public TV network of the State University of New York, to set up the broadcasts.
Talking With Wire Services
The main problem, Mr. Leicht said, is the cost of transmission. “To keep a telephone line open for the maximum five hours of each match runs about $1,000 a day,” he said. As a result, the station is negotiating with The Associated Press and other wire services and is considering transmission by amateur HAM radio.
Channel 13 is negotiating with at least one major corporation to get funding for the telecasts. Mr. Leicht said the bill could run anywhere from $6,000 to $50,000, “depending on the means of transmission.”
The games are scheduled to begin each day at 5 P.M. in Reykjavik, or noon New York time. During the summer months, Channel 13 has no programming until 4 P.M., when “Sesame Street” begins the broadcast day. Consequently, plans call for the station to televise the moves on a demonstration chess board from noon to 4 P.M. Conceivably, a game could be over by then, but if it is not, the station would update the moves on the board at the station break at approximately 5 P.M.
Mr. Chase explained that the chess moves by the two grandmasters will be transmitted to the state network's studios in Albany by one or more American grandmasters in Reykjavik and from Albany to Channel 13.
Negotiations are still going on with several grandmasters. In New York, Shelby Lyman, a former champion of New England and of the Marshall Chess Club here, will transmit the moves onto the demonstration board and provide analysis of each move.
Under international chess regulations, the contestants in the first session are each permitted 2½ hours to make 40 moves, which would total 5 hours. Thereafter they each have one hour to make 16 moves until the game is completed. Mr. Spassky, as the current champion, needs only 12 points to win, while Mr. Fischer requires 12½. One point is awarded for a win and one-half point for a draw.
