The Orlando Sentinel Orlando, Florida Monday, July 03, 1972 - Page 1
Fischer Absent; Chess Opener Postponed 2 Days
Reykjavik, Iceland (UPI) - Bobby Fischer failed to appear for the opening game in his world championship chess match with Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union Sunday but the match was postponed for two days to give the American challenger one more chance to play.
“The simplest and maybe correct way to deal with this would be to disqualify Fischer from championship play,” Dr. Max Euwe, president of the (FIDE), said in announcing the postponement.
THE POSTPONEMENT was made primarily to protect the Icelandic financial backers of the match and to preserve the image of the game itself, Euwe said.
Robert Byrne, an American grandmaster, by phone from Reykjavik Sunday. “He said he was not fatigued and he was not sick,” Byrne said. “He won't come because they (the organizers) are not meeting his financial demands.”
Gudmundur Thorarinsson, president of the Icelandic Chess Federation, said he still believed that the “financial differences could be overcome.” He said Fischer also had demanded very strong security measures to protect him from newsmen and fans.
IF FISCHER does not appear for the drawing of lots now scheduled for Tuesday at noon, he will be disqualified and lose his right to challenge the 35-year-old Russian for the world chess title, Euwe said.
The match between Fischer, 29, and Spassky originally was to have begun at 5 p.m. Sunday in a Reykjavik theater especially outfitted to suit the demands of both players. Spassky arrived early last week.
In announcing the decision to postpone the opening of the 24-game match, Euwe said an Icelandic friend of Fischer, flying to New York “to try to persuade Fischer to come here and play the match.”
IF HE DOES not show up at noon on Tuesday for the drawing of lot,” Euwe said “he will be disqualified and lose the right to play for the title.”
Fischer, unhappy over the financial terms arranged for the match, three times canceled flights from New York last week and he failed to board the last direct flight that would have gotten him to Iceland on time Saturday night.
Each player is permitted three postponements for medical reasons but these must be certified by the official match doctor.
FRED CRAMER, representing the 29-year-old challenger said two cablegrams had been sent from the United States to Reykjavik—one from Fischer's physician and one from the U.S. Chess Federation—but he said both had been lost.
He indicated that the cablegrams called for a postponement because of the state of Fischer's health.
Euwe said the postponement was made after he and the official arbiter for the match, Chess Grand Master Lothar Schmid of Germany, asked Spassky and his assistants if they would concur.
Neither the promoters nor Cramer's representatives would say whether the financial problem had been settled. Chess sources said this was the major stumbling block.
Fischer Absent; Chess Opener Postponed 2 Days 03 Jul 1972, Mon The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Florida) Newspapers.com
