ANew York Times, New York, New York, Thursday, July 06, 1972 - Page 01-31
Fischer Apologizes to Spassky; Plans for Match Still Unsettled by Harold C. Schonberg
Reykjavik, Iceland, July 5 —Nobody in Iceland—neither the contestants in the scheduled world chess championship match, nor their advisers or assistants, nor officials of the International or Icelandic Chess Federations — knew tonight when the match would begin, or whether it would be held at all.
Confusion seems to be the only consistent theme on a day on which Bobby Fischer, the American challenger, apologized to the Soviet champion for delaying the match, and Dr. Max Euwe, the president of the International Chess Federation, apologized to the Russians condemned Fischer and admitted his own error in granting postponements.
The Russians, who had demanded the apologies—and in writing—had no comment. Since it was, in effect, their move, the status of the match remained uncertain.
Dr. Euwe, in an attempt to break through what has become a denser and denser impasse, proposed that the 24-game match be postponed for a week and that it be split—with six to eight games to be played elsewhere later this year.
Dr. Euwe's suggestion, made on the spur of the moment, seemed designed to allow tempers to cool. It followed the rejection of Fischer's apology by the Soviet delegation because it had been sent by messenger, it was mimeographed and it was not signed by Fischer.
At a press conference earlier today, Spassky's second, Yefim Geller, read off a list of alleged infractions of the regulations by Dr. Euwe.
He said that the match would go on only if three conditions were met:
1. “Robert Fischer must apologize.
2. “The president of FIDE [Federation Internationale des Echecs, the International Chess Federation] has to condemn the behavior of the challenger.
3. “The president of FIDE has to admit that his two-day postponement violated FIDE rules.”
A demand by the Russian Chess Federation that Fischer forfeit the first game was not among the conditions.
The Rev. William Lombardy, Fischer's second, read a statement that Fischer had authorized. Addressed to the Russian delegation, it said:
“We are sorry that the world championship was delayed. The problems causing the delays were not with world champion Spassky, whom I respect and admire as a man and a player.
“If grandmaster Spassky or the Soviet people were inconvenienced or if discomforted, I am indeed unhappy for I had not the slightest intention of this occurring.”
The letter was not signed, for Fischer dislikes putting his name on anything as much as he dislikes appearing in public. He has not been seen since he arrived Tuesday morning. Lombardy said, however, that Fischer would like to explain his side of the delay personally to Spassky.
Apology Rejected
Geller said that he had seen Fischer's apology, but that it had been sent by a messenger, it was mimeographed and not personally signed. The implication was that this was no way to tender an apology.
Dr. Euwe, looking agitated, then rose and said that since two conditions referred to him, he would be happy to write out on the spot a condemnation of Fischer “not only in the last two days but all through the negotiations.”
He said that he would also admit that he had violated FIDE rules. “There are reasons,” he said in justification. “If I had not violated the rules there would be no match.”
He signed a statement condemning Fischer's late arrival and admitted that he, Dr. Euwe, had violated FIDE rules “on the basis of assumptions proved wrong.”
The match was scheduled to begin Sunday. Spassky and his entourage showed up days before the starting. Fischer, however, twice canceled plans to fly here, went into hiding and demanded 30 per cent of the receipts in addition to a share of the $125,000 purse.
When Fischer failed to arrive for the start of the match, Dr. Euwe granted a two-day postponement but warned that Fischer would forfeit the match if he did not show up by noon Tuesday. Fischer flew here after a British millionaire added $125,000 to the purse.
In his condemnation, Dr. Euwe said Fischer had acted in an “inexcusable manner” was “living in another world.”
The Americans entered the picture with a press conference immediately after the Russian one. It was called hastily by Fred Cramer, Fischer's assistant. If there was any apologizing to be done, Cramer said, Dr. Euwe should apologize to the Americans.
Drawing Wanted
Dr. Euwe, said Cramer, broke the rules in favor of the Russians. Anyway, he added, “Bobby doesn't feel he has violated any rules.”
When pressed, Cramer said he would waive all apologies but he insisted that the drawing for the white pieces—White moves first and has an advantage—scheduled tonight between Spassky and Fischer, should go on. He did not know the time or the place of the drawing, however.
Later in the evening there was a growing feeling that positive results might come out of meetings that have been going on among the Russians, Dr. Euwe, the referee and members of the Iceland Chess Federation. It is understood that the Fischer and Euwe apologies were among the things discussed at the meetings. If an accord is reached, the match could start Sunday or next Tuesday.
[United Press International in Reykjavik quoted Dr. Euwe as saying—still later—that he felt the major outstanding differences had been settled at the meetings.
[“The match will start on Sunday, or, at the latest, Tuesday,” Dr. Euwe said according to the news agency.
[Lothar Schmid, the referee of the match, said the draw to decide who is to play the white pieces in the first game would be held at 8 P.M. (4 P.M. EDT) tomorrow.
[Dr. Euwe said a new meeting, also involving Fischer advisers, would be held tomorrow.
[He also said he felt the Soviet demand for a penalty for the American challenger for showing up late for the start of the match, originally scheduled for July 2, “might be settled later” at the FIDE Congress later this year in Skopie, Yugoslavia.
The only levity of the day came with an announcement from Moscow that a group of Americans was using a computer in New York to help the 29-year-old United States star to win. These Americans would, by unexplained means, get the moves of each game in progress, feed them into a computer, and relay them back to Fischer during the game by equally unexplained means.
The charge caused hysterical laughter among all chess specialists here, including Schmid. Even the Russians smiled when they heard the news from Moscow.
“That's nonsense,” said Dr. Schmid.
“Asinine. Pure fantasy,” said Jack Collins, former New York State champion.
“Ridiculous,” said grandmaster Larry Evans.
“Computers play average chess — very bad,” said Dr. Euwe, who was once the world champion.
