AVictoria Advocate Victoria, Texas Monday, July 03, 1972 - Page 1
Chess Disaster Looms by Joe Alex Morrison, Jr., Los Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service.
Reykjavik, Iceland — The ballad of Bobby Fischer has already been written.
Here is Iceland, the classic form of epic poem is called the saga. And Bobby Fischer himself is in the middle of creating one.
He's getting some notable assistance from an incredible cast of characters, mostly Americans, but no one can challenge his top billing in turning what should have been an epic-making match into an epochal disaster.
The 29-year-old American challenger for the world chess crown is playing no show. His tactics have made a shambles of what was supposed to be the most exciting chess match of the century, or perhaps ever.
The first of 24 matches against Boris Spassky, the 35-year-old Russian world champion was to start at 5 p.m. Sunday (local time). Instead, a hastily pencilled sign on the glass door of Lagurdur Hall said simply: “No Match Today.”
And the burning question was: Will there be a match after all?
The authorities were throwing rules and precedents to the wind in a desperate effort to save the championship and rescue the Icelandic Chess Federation from financial disaster. After endless conferences with Russians, American and Icelanders, and after several hours of soul-searching, Dr. Max Euwe, the World Chess Federation president, announced a two-day postponement.
The Russians protested that the step was illegal ([so was that 35K “guarantee” demanded by Belgrade, but the Soviet agreed with illegal demands, when expedient to their own personal advantage]), and Dr. Euwe agreed with them ([and Ed Edmondson agreed the Belgrade organizer demand of 35K was “illegal”]). But he appealed to them to take a sporting attitude, particularly for the sake of the host country, and they did.
The delay had been requested by Americans here who claim to represent Fischer. Dr. Euwe pointed out it was an extraordinary position to put him in, because none of the Americans have any written authorization from Fischer to represent him.
To further cloud a truly Byzantine situation, the Americans based their request on two cables from New York, one from the head of the American chess Federation and the second from a doctor who is a friend of Fischer.
The cables, if they exist, never arrived.
If any event, Dr. Euwe made his decision in spite of the American tactics, not because of them. He also dispatched an Icelandic chess player and friend of Fischer's to New York to try and persuade the reluctant giant to get here by noon Tuesday, but Dr. Euwe was not optimistic.
“I think there will be no play at all,” he said. “Fischer doesn't recognize all we are doing here.”
The American challenger has refused to sign the match agreement, and he is not even personally committed to playing in Reykjavik. The cabled agreement came from the American Federation president, who said Fischer had authorized him to say he would compete, but under protest.
The problems appear to be psychological, pathological and financial.
“Bobby wants to come but he is afraid he will lose,” said a Yugoslav Grand Master ([who is part of the Soviet Machinery.]) That's the psychological reason.
“He has a pathological fear and hatred of the press which so far has caused him to miss four planes to Iceland.
“And he wants the players to get a 30 per cent cut of the gate in addition to the $125,000 combined purse. ([which, is peanuts compared to the offers made by Australia and Mexico among other bids.])
In contrast to Fischer, Boris Spassky has been a model of good behavior. ([Not according to Spassky, years later. While Fischer's battle with chess officials made headlines, in private Spassky raised his own battles with the Soviet Federation, says Spassky, 1985. The Soviet regime extracted “good behavior” thru fear of being “dragged on the carpet”, as with Taimanov and Petrosian for losing those matches!]) He arrived a week early and has not raised a bundle of complaints, as have the Americans, about the physical layout for the match.
Spassky turned up promptly Sunday morning for the chess equivalent of boxing's weigh-in — the drawing of lots to see who plays white, or first, in the first game.
He was a picture of good humor as he strolled through the lobby of the Loftleidir Hotel, his hands jammed into both pockets of his fawn slacks. Like any good boxer, he was surrounded by three burly seconds, but he did not ask them to keep the hordes of photographers at bay. There was, of course, now weigh-in. Instead, a multi-faction huddle took place behind closed doors to see what to do next.
The Icelanders are trying desperately to persuade the Russians that the match really won't start until the first piece is moved on the green and white marble chessboard.
If their argument prevails, it means they probably won't have to pay out the prize money. If the Russians prevail, Spassky will be declared the winner should Fischer fail to show up.
Another related problem is that, should there be no match here, Spassky would be obligated to play the next-highest challenger, another Russian named Tigran Petrosian.
To further complicate matters, Fischer may claim the loser's purse even if he doesn't show up.
If Fischer does appear Tuesday, does this mean he has used up one of his three authorized rights to postpone? Dr. Euwe was not ready to answer that one either.
Despite all the mind-bending and knuckle-rapping going on in the eternal daylight of midsummer here, one thing appeared absolutely certain: If Bobby Fischer fails to show up by noon Tuesday, it is all over.
“He has to be here before noon Tuesday,” said Dr. Euwe, with a note of finality in his voice which previously had been missing.
That could be the last chapter in the saga of Bobby Fischer.
Fischer 03 Jul 1972, Mon Victoria Advocate (Victoria, Texas) Newspapers.com
