The Honolulu Advertiser Honolulu, Hawaii Tuesday, July 11, 1972 - Page 23
Fischer Gets Experts' Nod by Ian Westergren
Reykjavik, Iceland (UPI) — Despite some last minute complaints about the playing conditions, Bobby Fischer was reported in a “Go, go, go” mood for the first game of his World Championship chess match with Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union today.
“Fischer does not like the lighting, the board and the pieces, the locations of the television cameras and some other minor details,” said Fred Cramer, vice president of the U.S. Chess Federation.
“These things are troublesome but not critical,” he said. “The organizers are already doing something about it.”
Cramer, pronounced the American in “Go, go, go” condition for the first game.
WHILE Fischer was still discussing the setup, the chess experts assembled in Iceland were predicting the outcome of the “chess match of the century,” as the Spassky-Fischer match has been billed.
A private poll taken among the experts was in Fischer's favor. Many experts noted that Fischer in fact has a higher point rating in the complex international rating system than does Spassky, who has not been playing at his best recently.
Fischer also impressed the chess work in his qualification matches. He beat Mark Taimanov of the Soviet Union and Bent Larsen of Denmark in six straight games and then overwhelmed former world champion Tigran Petrosian 6.5 points to 2.5.
THE MATCH, already delayed for nine days, will begin at 5 p.m. (1 p.m. EDT) today in a 3,000-seat hall especially outfitted to accommodate the Russian world champion and the challenger.
The match originally was to have begun July 2, but it was delayed because Fischer attempted to negotiate for 30 per cent of the admission fees the organizers are charging in addition to a $125,000 purse and a percentage of the television rights. He came to Iceland and dropped his demand for a percentage of the gate only after a British banker put up sufficient money to double the purse to $250,000.
In addition to the world championship, which Spassky currently holds, the winner oft eh match will receive $150,000 from the purse. The loser will receive $100,000.
Fischer, 29, of Brooklyn, N.Y., slipped unnoticed into the hall early yesterday and spent 80 minutes inspecting details arranged for the match that is scheduled to go as many as 24 games. As champion, Spassky can win by being the first to accumulate 12 match points with one point for a victory and one-half point for a draw. Fischer as challenger needs 12.5 points to win.
Cramer, himself a retired lighting engineer, said he was not sure what Fischer objected to concerning the lighting.
“From an engineering point of view it's perfect and very flexible. But if you have to sit for five hours staring at a chess board you might have other ideas.” Cramer said.
Fischer Gets Experts' Nod 11 Jul 1972, Tue The Honolulu Advertiser (Honolulu, Hawaii) Newspapers.com
