ANew York Times, New York, New York, Tuesday, June 27, 1972 - Page 37
Spassky Rates Fischer Stronger Than in Last Meeting by Harold C. Schonberg
Reykjavik, Iceland, June 26 — Boris Spassky, the chess champion of the world, who has played Bobby Fischer five times and never been beaten by the American, said today that since their last encounter Fischer's game had become “much stronger than before.”
Fischer is scheduled to meet Spassky in the opener of their 24-game match for the world title here on Sunday.
Fischer, the Soviet grandmaster said, has a style that is “very practical, with immense energy.” He compared his American challenger to Jose Raoul Capablanca, a dashing Cuban who held the world chess championship from 1921 to 1927.
In a rare public interview, held in the Saga Hotel before a group of Western journalists — the four Soviet newsmen who are expected to cover the championship have not yet arrived—Spassky said his chess style tended to be less classical than that of Fischer or Capablanca.
Spassky Holds Edge
Spassky defeated Fischer in two of their five games, and the three others were drawn. The last time they met was in September, 1970.
Asked how he would counter Fischer's all-but-inevitable opening move—pawn to king 4—the Soviet champion grinned and said: “That is a professional secret.”
Spassky, a handsome, medium-sized man with thick brown hair, blue-green eyes and the figure of an athlete, parried most of the questions thrown at him with diplomatic tact.
Caption: Boris Spassky, right, with Jivo Nei, left, international master from the Soviet Union, and interpreter, during news conference held yesterday at Saga Hotel in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Yes, he has always liked Iceland. No, he hasn't seen the hall yet, but he is sure that everything will be just fine. No, he will not be bothered by the long hours of daylight—the Arctic Circle just brushes the northern tip of Iceland and, though the sun dips below the horizon for about an hour, there is no real darkness at this time of year.
A Purse of $125,000
Spassky avoided discussing politics, though he did say, when pressed, that he was not a member of the Communist party. As for the match with Fischer—which has been widely touted as an East-West confrontation — he said: “While seated at the chess board, I am a chess player and not a politician.”
Iceland is putting up a purse of $125,000, with the winner to receive 62.5 per cent. Asked how much of the purse he would be allowed to keep, Spassky replied, “If I only knew myself,” then wryly added: “How much will Fischer be allowed to keep?”
He said he was fond of Fischer. Asked if that meant fond enough to call his rival Bobby, Spassky replied with a perfectly straight face and after thinking for a moment: “I refer to him as Robert James.”
Fischer, who was scheduled to arrive today, canceled his flight at the last moment. And Spassky, when asked whether he thought Fischer was playing a game of nerves, replied:
“I think that Fischer is the commander in chief of his own ideas.”
Another questioner wondered about reports that Spassky was demanding a room temperature of 21 degrees centigrade—about 70 degrees Fahrenheit—while Fischer was insisting on 24 degrees. How could such a problem be resolved?
“I haven't asked for 21 degrees,” Spassky said. “But if there is a problem, we can add 21 and 24 and divide by two.”
4 Aides For Champion
Spassky arrived last Wednesday accompanied by an entourage that included two grandmasters, one international master and a psychologist.
Fischer is going to come here by himself, without an official second to help him work out adjourned games. The only American acting for Fischer in Reykjavik is Fred Kramer of Minneapolis. Kramer, who is a vice president of the International Chess Federation, arrived on this morning's flight and indicated that Fischer would turn up later this week.
But that does not satisfy the sponsors of the championship match, which is scheduled to be played in the 3,000-seat Sports House. They are nervous, and nobody is going to breathe easily until the two players actually confront each other and the first move is made.
Even that is no guarantee. Fischer has walked out of tournaments when things were not to his liking, as he did at the elimination tournament in Sousse, Tunisia, in 1967, even though he was in first place at the time.
Or he may not like the lighting and will refuse to play because it is too bright, or not bright enough. It may have been not without significance that Kramer, in private life a lighting engineer, was observed today at the Sports House with a light meter in his hand.
Or it may have been not without significance that Kramer was observed looking carefully at the rooms reserved for Fischer at the Loftleidir Hotel. Bobby is very finicky about his hotel rooms. In Buenos Aires, during his recent match with Tigran Petrosian, he changed rooms something like three times in three days.
Fischer will not have much time to adjust his biological close to the new time zone. Spassky has already made the adjustment and every day he runs and plays tennis. He says that he likes exercise, and that it is necessary to have a strong body for the rigors of a brain-bubbling match that could last two months if all 24 games (three a week) are played out.
