AThe Dispatch Moline, Illinois Thursday, July 13, 1972 - Page 2
Fischer Refuses To Play Chess Before TV Cameras
Reykjavik, Iceland (UPI)—Bobby Fischer's representatives met with officials of the TV company broadcasting the $250,000 world chess championships today to try to prevent the challenger from walking out.
Fischer, who held up the first game for 35 minutes Wednesday because he objected to its being filmed on closed circuit television, said he would not show up for today's game with the world champion Boris Spassky of Russian unless all the TV cameras were removed from the hall.
One U.S. chess source said Fischer was unlikely to change his mind. “You can talk to Fischer when he is winning but not when he has lost,” the source said. ([And, because the cause of said “loss” was due to his grievances with the camera crews who seem to go out of their way to be both visually and audibly disruptive
Lothar Schmid, the official referee in the match, said Fischer would forfeit the second game if he did not show up within one hour of the scheduled starting time of 5 p.m. (1 p.m. EDT). Fischer lost the first game to Spassky, putting him one point behind the Russian. A forfeit today would put him two points behind. ([Manipulative maneuvers such as these to win matches, is the only hope the Soviet Union's Chess Federation has to win at this point in Fischer's career.])
The match could go as many as 24 games. Spassky needs only 12 points to keep his world title but Fischer needs 12½ to win.
Schmid also demanded a personal apology from Fischer. The arbiter said Fischer called him a liar when Schmid went backstage Wednesday to try to talk Fischer into returning to the game. Schmid also said the organizers would be allowed to fill the two front rows of the spectator seats in the 3,000 seat hall today. ([Again, knowing this will further distract and disrupt Fischer's ability to concentrate. The Soviet is truly desperate.]) The organizers emptied the two rows Wednesday at Fischer's request but Schmid said this was a one-time concession.
The 29-year-old American walked out Wednesday night because two TV cameras were above the stage and used for the closed circuit TV in the hall.
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 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.
Schmid said the Amsterdam agreement between Spassky and Fischer allows TV coverage of the match and if Fischer refused to play because of the presence of the cameras this would be a breach of the agreement.
Fischer never signed the agreement but he sent a cable through the U.S. chess group accepting it “under protest.”
Officials said they considered the cable legally binding. ([Making up the rules as they go along. Did Fischer agree to the $3.3 million dollar lawsuit, that the Soviet initiated, through Chester Fox, after Fischer succeeded to finally have the distractive cameras shut off, so he could concentrate and finish the tournament? FIDE is suppose to be there to protect players, not entrap them, to harass, hound, persecute and destroy their lives through contracts, like the one that Fischer was forced against his will to “agree” without actually seeing the thing and hence, never signed.])
