AThe Los Angeles Times Los Angeles, California Tuesday, July 04, 1972 - Page 7
Fischer Ends His Boycott as Prize Money Is Doubled by Joe Alex Morris, Jr.
Reykjavik, Iceland—American challenger Bobby Fischer decided Monday night to end his boycott of the world chess championship and fly here for the first match today against Russia's Boris Spassky, the Icelandic Chess Federation president said.
Fischer boarded Icelandic Airways Flight 202A bound for Reykjavik Monday evening at New York Kennedy's International Airport.
It's the Englishman who did it,” said Gudmunder Thorarinsson, the Icelandic chess official. By this he meant the dramatic offer by British banker Jim Slater to double the prize money if Fischer would end his holdout.
Thorarinsson was somewhat less than jubilant, however. “Fischer made it to the airport before,” he pointed out. The 29-year-old American fled from hordes of waiting photographers at the airport when he originally was scheduled to fly to Iceland last week.
Comments Confirm Reports
Thorarinsson didn't name the source of his information but he appeared to be confirming reports that Fischer's lawyer had said he would play. On the other hand, neither International Chess Federation President Dr. Max Euwe nor Fred Cramer, one of Fischer's unofficial representatives here, could confirm the story.
(Slater, the British chess buff-millionaire, said in London he had received confirmation of Fischer's acceptance, Associated Press reported. He had described his offer of $130,000 of his own money as, in effect, “saying to Fischer … ‘Come out and play.’”
(In New York, Fischer's lawyer, Paul Marshall, quoted the American challenger as saying: “I gotta accept it. It's a stupendous offer … incredible and generous and brave.”)
Dr. Euwe expressed concern that all the troubles may not be over even if Fischer does arrive. He said the Russians were now showing a tough and exasperated mood, signified by their insistence that the extraordinary steps taken to save this competition were totally illegal.
Dr. Euwe didn't deny his steps were illegal. He merely pleaded they were vital if the competition was to go on.
No one knows yet whether the Russians will agree to a capitalist banker increasing the money in the pot either.
After maintaining an admirable sporting and diplomatic posture through days of mounting tension, the Russians suddenly opened up with full broadsides against both Fischer and the International Chess Federation.
The Soviet Chess Federation accused Fischer of “blackmail,” and said he should be “unconditionally disqualified.” But it indicated Russia would go along with the postponement of the match, which should have started Sunday, until noon today.
Euwe also was accused by the campion, Spassky, of distorting their position in his press conferences. This came out in a story from Tass, the official Soviet news agency.
[THUS BEGAN THE BASELESS RUMORS SPREAD BY BRAD DARRACH et al., WHICH FISCHER ADAMANTLY DENIED]--> Tass, like Life magazine, has an inside track. Life got its special position by contracting with Fischer.<--[FISCHER ANSWERS TO THIS NOTORIOUSLY FALSE REPORT, 9/23/1972, QUOTE: “…Fischer told a reporter that the story that he had sold Life magazine an exclusive interview during the match with Spassky was ‘a dirty lie.’” ‘I was busy,’ he said. ‘If I'd given an interview to every body that asked, I'd have lost the match.’” - New York Times, September 23, 1972] The Soviet simply named the Tass chess correspondent, a grand master himself, as an official member of their delegation.
To compound the confusion here, Spassky announced a press conference, then failed to show up. He did send a statement, however, in which he declared he had never given anyone permission to delay the start of the tournament. Dr. Euwe pointed out he had never said Spassky had done so, but simply stated the Russians had not objected.
On the new money offer from a capitalist British banker, Euwe said Spassky had not yet reacted. “I had the impression Spassky had to wait for orders from Moscow,” the Hollander said.
