AThe Baltimore Sun Baltimore, Maryland Saturday, July 08, 1972 - Page 4
Disputes Left Match in Doubt Before Drawing
Reykjavik, Iceland (AP) — Disputes all day Thursday left in doubt until an hour before they drew lots that Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer would play for the world chess championship, informed sources reported yesterday.
Telephone calls from the camp of the Russian champion and the American challenger confirming that play would start Tuesday reached the organizers at about 7 P.M., or 50 minutes before Mr. Spassky reached the playing hall for the draw. He won the draw—giving him the important first move.
Referee Almost Quits
The sources said that during the disputes, Lothar Schmid, of West Germany, the chief referee, twice threatened, to quit.
Harry Golombek, acting in the absence of Dr. Max Euwe, president of the International Chess Federation, overruled Mr. Schmid and said, “We will go on.”
Having dropped their demand that Mr. Fischer forfeit the first game because of his late arrival for the scheduled start last Sunday, the Russians asked Thursday morning that Mr. Spassky be allowed to rest until Tuesday.
Demands Seesaw
They said he was “tired and upset” by all the controversy and delay.
Paul Marshall, a lawyer, and the other men representing Mr. Fischer first rejected the request, saying the American insisted that the match start Sunday.
Federation officials intervened and obtained American agreement on condition that Mr. Spassky put the request in writing. The day dragged on while officials tried to locate Mr. Spassky, who was finally found through the Soviet Embassy. He consented to write it.
Mr. Fischer then demanded days off in September for religious holidays recognized by the Worldwide Church of God, the fundamentalist sect he follows, if the match runs over its scheduled end-of-August finish. More negotiations ensued.
The dispute that nearly caused Mr. Schmid to walk out was a demand by Mr. Marshall that restrictions on transmitting move-by-move reports of the games be lifted. Rights to a running play-by-play have been sold, and correspondents are limited in the number of times they can transmit the moves.
