Daily News New York, New York Friday, July 07, 1972 - Page 250
Bobby and Boris Show Tuesday
Reykjavik, July 6 (UPI) — The world chess championship match between Bobby Fischer of the United States and Soviet world champion Boris Spassky will start Tuesday with Spassky playing the white pieces and making the first move in the opening game. The drawing followed Fischer's written apology to Spassky for his “disrespectful behavior” in delaying the match.
Fischer, 29, the chess genius from Brooklyn, and Spassky, 35, the world titleholder from Moscow, met face to face for the first time tonight to arrange the start of their match after Fischer attributed the delay of his “petty dispute over money.”
The match was scheduled to start last Sunday, but was postponed until Tuesday while Fischer bargained for more money. It was postponed a second time after Spassky protested Fischer's absence and demanded an apology. The Russian Chess Federation also demanded that Fischer forfeit the first game because he was absent for the opening ceremony.
Fischer spent three hours— from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m.— drawing up his “Dear Boris” letter of apology and made sure it was delivered personally to Spassky.
“Please accept my sincerest apology for my disrespectful behavior in not attending the opening ceremony. I simply became carried away by my petty dispute over money with the Icelandic chess organizers,” Fischer wrote.
“I have offended you and your country, the Soviet Union, where chess has a prestigious position.”
Fischer also asked Spassky to withdraw the demand that he forfeit the first game. He said such a move would “place me at a tremendous handicap” and he did not believe “the world champion desires such an advantage in order to play me.”
“I know you to be a sportsman and a gentleman and I am looking forward to some exciting chess games with you,” Fischer said.
Fischer also apologized to Dr. Max Euwe, president of the International Chess Federation, and thousands of chess fans around the world for delaying the match.
Instead of going to Iceland for the scheduled start of the match, Fischer stayed in New York and demanded more money. A British banker, James Slater, agreed to double the original $125,000 so the match could be played.
Fischer then flew to Iceland and went into seclusion in a house put at his disposal by the match organizers.
