The Salt Lake Tribune Salt Lake City, Utah Monday, June 26, 1972 - Page 16
Television Today: PBS to Re-create Chess Test by Harold Schindler, Tribune Television Editor
Next week Bobby Fischer of New York will meet Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union in a tournament to determine the world champion of chess. The match will not be televised, since the site of the 24-game showdown is Reykjavik, Iceland, one of the lesser known market areas on the Nielsen survey.
Fischer, a young man with a single purpose — to destroy Boris Spassky — is a heavy favorite to do just that. But he is unhappy with Iceland because of the lack of television facilities which will cheat him of a fat slice of potential video rights and the satisfaction of permitting the world to look in on his moment of victory. If nothing else, Fischer is confident.
Re-create Action
Chess fans in America have felt keen disappointment that the matches will be without television: however, they can take consolation in the announcement that the Public Broadcast Service starting with the opening moves next Sunday at 1:30 p.m. will provide five hours of coverage re-creating the action in Iceland.
To nonplayers, chess is as exciting as watching the paint rust on an old care, but perhaps the PBS on KUED coverage will change that.
Telephone Contact
Here's the plan: Shelby Lyman, chess master and instructor, will receive play-by-play information via teletype direct from Iceland. He will duplicate the moves on a demonstration chessboard and on a second board will provide explanations of possible counter-moves.
Lyman also will be in telephone contact with chess writer Frank Brady in Reykjavik, as well as expects from the Marshall Chess Club in New York. Brady will provide tape recorded interviews and background on the participants and the setting, which the chess experts provide what football fans would call “color commentary.”
Of the 24 games, Spassky must win 12 to keep his world title. Thus Fischer, the grand master, must win at least 12 and draw one to win. Games will be played every other day beginning July 2, but not on Saturday.
Adjourned games are to be played on the following day.
KUED and the Public Broadcasting System will be concerned with only Sunday games, when play-by-play action will be aired by Lyman and his crew of chess experts. However, a recap of the games played during the week will be included in the Sunday summaries until a winner is decided.
At stake is the world chess championship which Fischer claims the Soviets have conspired to keep within their own ranks. The prize — other than the title — is minimal considering that Mohammed Ali and Joe Frazier split millions for punching each other silly.
The chess champions will play for $125,000 — 60 percent will go to the winner.
★
Television Today: PBS to Re-create Chess Test Mon, Jun 26, 1972 – 16 · The Salt Lake Tribune (Salt Lake City, Utah) · Newspapers.com
