AThe Los Angeles Times Los Angeles, California Thursday, July 06, 1972 - Page 22
Chess Match Could Start Next Week; Russ Seek Game Point by Joe Alex Morris, Jr.
Reykjavik, Iceland — The president of the International Chess Federation sharply condemned American challenger Bobby Fischer Wednesday. But after a midnight conference he said that the controversial world championship match probably could start Sunday or Tuesday.
Certain important problems still remained, not the least being a demand by the Russians that Soviet world champion Boris Spassky be awarded one point and the first game because they say Fischer defaulted.
The Russians reiterated this demand in the late evening after appearing earlier to accept the viewpoint that it not be made a major issue.
Another problem was an apology Fischer made to satisfy Russian demands. The Russians want it in writing, and they want Fischer's signature on it, said arbiter Lothar Schmid.
Dr. Max Euwe, president of the International Chess Federation, earlier had complied with Soviet demands he issue a sharp rebuke to the 29-year-old American challenger who arrived two days late for what has been billed as the chess match of the century.
“He's living in another world,” the elderly Dutch former world champion said of Fischer.
Euwe described Spassky as “very upset” and proposed postponing the match until Sunday or Tuesday. This would put it behind schedule and possibly necessitate splitting the 24-game competition into two parts so that the world chess Olympiad could be played in Skopje, Yugoslavia, starting Sept. 17.
The chess Olympics are held once every two years, and the players here would be expected to head their respective national teams in Yugoslavia. The officials now here also would be expected to be there because simultaneously with the chess Olympiad the International Chess Federation will hold its regular elections.
It was a day of apologies by both Euwe and Fischer which seemed to go far toward meeting Russian demands for satisfaction over what they described as gross violations of the rules and an insult to both Spassky and the Russian people.
“We see no guarantees that the rules won't be violated again,” said Soviet grand master Efim Geller. And he added there were still many questions to be solved.
Fischer left his luxury bungalow and went on a 5 a.m. ride Wednesday with a police guard. He tried to get into the hall where the match is to be played, but it was locked.
The American's apology to Spassky was hardly copious, for he said merely: “If grand master Spassky or the Soviet people were inconvenienced or discomfited, I am indeed unhappy, for I had not the slightest intention of this occurring.”
Spassky in his protest note had said Fischer's antics “called in doubt his moral rights to play the match,” adding, “If there now is to be any hope for conducting the match, Fischer must be subjected to just penalty.” In an accompanying blast at Fischer and Euwe, the Russians demanded sanctions be imposed against Fischer.
Fred Cramer, the unofficial American spokesman, said afterward, “Bobby doesn't feel he's violated any rules.”
There was a curious runaround on a Soviet Chess Federation demand that Spassky be awarded one point for the first game as punishment to Fischer for his delaying tactics. Grand master Geller said the demand was still valid. Then, Euwe said “Spassky would never take this point,” and Geller agreed with him.
But Geller insisted the federation had to make the gesture of offering it to Spassky. Cramer said he didn't see anything wrong with that, so long as the Russian promised not to take the point.
The Russians called a press conference largely because Euwe had failed to distribute a statement they wanted, released Tuesday. Euwe explained he couldn't because the translations didn't jibe with the Russian text. But on inspection, the difference appeared relatively minor.
It gave Geller a chance to blast not only Fischer but the federation as well because it had not condemned Fischer “but did the reverse—it took him under its protection.”
Chess Match Could Start Next Week; Russ Seek Game Point 06 Jul 1972, Thu The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) Newspapers.com
Chess 06 Jul 1972, Thu The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) Newspapers.com
