AThe San Francisco Examiner San Francisco, California Friday, July 14, 1972 - Page 2
Chess Row: Fischer Risks Heavy Loss
Reykjavik, Iceland — (AP) — Bobby Fischer charged today that tournament organizers seemed to “upset and provoke me” deliberately ([Well Mr. Fischer, you are trapped in the Soviet's hand-picked, Anti-American Racist haven, so of course they are. That's why Russia selected Reykjavik, Iceland. It's “row” over the NATO base at Keflavik. Maybe the rest of Americans will figure this out in about… 50 years.]), but an appeals committee rejected his request to replay the chess game he forfeited to Boris Spassky of Russia. ([Although the facts are, the valid “formal written protest” as required according to the rules, were in fact, submitted before the deadline and yet, these officials rejected it, out of hand, illegally, because they don't care about fairness or ethics. For Soviets, “Winning” is all that matters.])
The world champion from the Soviet Union was awarded second game yesterday in the championship match when Fischer refused to appear, staying in his hotel suite, because he objected to ([disruptive men operating]) three moving picture cameras in the hall ([which according to USCF's Col. As Col. Edmondson, who had a hand in drafting the agreement, reiterated, “Fischer had the right to bar the cameras if he felt they were disturbing his concentration.” But Fischer's rights and the rules, were ignored by Icelandic officials]).
Thus Spassky, who won the first game, is 2-0 in the 24-game series. He needs 10 more points to retain the title. A victory counts one point and a draw half a point.
Fischer agreed to go ahead with the match if the cameras ([the disruptive crews of men operating the cameras]) were removed, although it was the movie and TV payments that allowed the Icelandic Chess Federation to offer a record $125,000 purse to the two players ([and if that's actually so, how did Australia bid $225,000 with only $25,000 going to organization expenses and 200 grand for prize money… and no mention of movie/photography rights to “stay afloat”. If Iceland could not afford a mere $125,000, it should've never cast it's bid. And what's to become of all that gravy take at the gate? No accounting on that holdout from the players?])
Gudmundur Thorarinsson, president of the ICF, said that if the match was stopped by Fischer's disqualification ([disqualification?? and why? Because Fischer legally protested disruptive camera men, just as the rules permitted, with the American delegates producing a formal protest in writing, before the deadline. And yet chose to break the rules and ignore it? Who is creating all these uncertainties, dilemmas and unwarranted drama, except the organizers and the Soviet]) the organizers would not pay the loser's share. This meant that Fischer could not only lose his chance at the title but big money. ([We know there was talk months earlier, from April 15, 1972 of the Soviet even then plotting to “disqualify and replace Fischer” so this comes as no surprise])
As the loser he would be entitled to $46,875 from the ICF, $45,000 from a purse of about $120,000 offered by British financier James Slater, and $27,500 from the TV and movie rights.
In a seven-page letter to Lothar Schmid, the chief referee, the American said he was told the cameras would be silent and invisible—but “nothing could have been farther from the facts.”
He previously had told Schmid that although … /snipping hearsay and bias ([and Fischer's lawyer, Paul Marshall stated “Bobby told me, ‘I can't think, it's a distraction.’” Golombek described a man on the roof, and Schonberg describes a distractive crew of three men, and later, Fischer recalled in his own words to Johnny Carson 11/1972: “…they had these characters there, who instead of having, some kind of video tape film that didn't make any noise, just, nobody around to operate them, just sort of stationless and they just had guys there with film cameras that were worrying, and they were all around me. Making a racket. A nuisance. … Too much noise, and visually you could see them moving around.” — Robert J. Fischer])
Fischer declared that when all the camera equipment had been removed “I will be at the chessboard.”
A four-man committee voted 3-1 to reject Fischer's request for a reply, said Gudmundur Arnlaughsson, of Iceland, assistant referee who served on the committee.
“We've agreed to support Schmid's decision,” he said. “Three of us felt that it could not be done otherwise. There was one against.” ([Naturally, because Iceland is notorious in its chauvinist hostility toward Americans.])
Opposing was Fred Cramer, of the U.S. Chess Federation, and an associate of Fischer. The other members were Baldur Moller an ICF official, and Nikolai Krogius, a Spassky aide.
Andrew Davis, Fischer's lawyer who arrived in the morning from New York, appeared upset by the ruling. Asked if Fischer would appear for the third game Sunday, he replied: “I can't comment on that.”
