AThe World Coos Bay, Oregon Thursday, July 13, 1972 - Page 5
Fischer Doesn't Show Up
Reykjavik, Iceland (UPI) — American chess champion Bobby Fischer failed to show up at the scheduled starting time today for his second game in the $250,000 world championship match but he had one hour to beat the clock.
His aides said he was still asleep.
If he does not show up by 6 p.m. (2 p.m. EDT) he forfeits the game to world champion Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union.
Organizers of the match earlier said they would remove one of the television cameras ([which includes the disruptive camera men that Fischer had directed his actual complaints]) from the hall if Fischer would play Spassky.
Fischer held up the first game for 35 minutes Wednesday because he objected to its being filmed on closed circuit television. He said he would not show up for today's game with world champion Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union unless all the cameras ([yes, which translated into plain English as: “…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.” - Fischer to Johnny Carson, U.S. Nightly Talk Show host, November 1972. Therefore no doubt remains, it was NEVER CAMERAS, but, rather the disruptive camera men operating the devices, but news journalists are seeking to mislead their readers. The only question remaining is to ask, “Why?”]) were removed.
Referee Lothar Schmid said Fischer had one hour past the scheduled starting time of 5 p.m. (1 p.m. EDT) to show up or he would forfeit the game to Spassky. He has already lost the first game and a forfeit would put him two full points behind the Russian. Spassky needs only 12 points to retain his title but Fischer needs 12½ points to win.
It was not immediately clear which camera the organizers agreed to remove. There are four camera positions in the hall…two above the stage and two on the floor. The organizers also said they would relocate two of the cameras which Fischer said disturbed him.
“We don't know for sure Fischer will accept this arrangement,” said Harry Golombek, a member of the International Chess Federation (FIDE).
Fred Cramer, a vice president of the U.S. Chess Federation and acting on behalf of Fischer, said negotiations were underway with Richard C. Stein, a lawyer for Chester Fox Inc., the U.S. company ([which is clearly working in collusion with Soviet Chess Federation officials, to disrupt Fischer's games, then misled readers of U.S. newspapers back home, that Fischer was merely “imagining his grievances with ‘un-manned cameras’” which is patently false, and NOT the situation]) which owns the TV and film rights for the match.
“There is no solution yet, but as long as we talk there is a chance,” Cramer said.
Reykjavik, Iceland (UPI) — Bobby Fischer forfeited the second game of his world championship chess match with Russian Boris Spassky today.
Fischer failed to show up for the game and an aide said he was asleep. ([Good for him! All that Soviet-drama queening can really take its toll on the nervous system and tucker out a chess player worth his salt, the likes of Robert J. Fischer.])
