ANew York Times, New York, New York, Sunday, July 02, 1972 - Page 31
Fischer Seeks a Postponement by Harold C. Schonberg
NYTimes, Reykjavik, Iceland, July 1—Bobby Fischer has asked for a two-day postponement for his chess match with Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union, according to Andrew Davis, Fischer's lawyer.
Thus the match—and there is no certainty that the international chess tournament will be held—would start on Tuesday instead of 5 P.M. tomorrow.
There was no immediate reaction from the Russian delegation. It was learned that Mr. Davis—in a meeting with officials of the Icelandic Chess Federation the referee, Lothar Schmid; Max Euwe, president of the International Chess Federation; and Fred Cramer, who is acting for Fischer—pleaded fatigue on the American chess player's part.
The officials will meet tomorrow to discuss the request by Fischer, who failed to board the last regularly scheduled flight to Iceland tonight from Kennedy International Airport in New York City.
Fatigue, Mr. Davis said, is an impediment to playing, and he pleaded that the American challenger was thus not medically fit to start the match.
Fischer, who has delayed his trip here several times, is now expected to arrive tomorrow morning. Asked by Mr. Schmid why the challenger had not arrived earlier, Mr. Davis contended that reporters had spotted Fischer at Kennedy International Airport on Thursday night and had “prevented” him from leaving. He added that Fischer would not travel from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday for religious reasons.
Actually, Fischer was not “prevented” from leaving Kennedy Airport Thursday night. He arrived there about 11 P.M., was spotted in an airport restaurant with Mr. Davis by reporters and photographers and ran away, disappearing somewhere in Queens. Mr. Davis finally got on the plane alone and flew here.
Those who contend that Fischer is playing a war of nerves are saying that in effect the match has been going on for a long time, psychologically, and that the American challenger has merely been intensifying the battle in recent days by remaining in seclusion, uncommunicative and yet, through his intermediaries, still demanding.
The famous Fischer temperament, thus, is seen as “erratic behavior” by the people who have committed big stakes to the match, but as clever strategy by Fischer partisans, who believe that his flight cancellations this week and his on-again, off-again approach, are carefully calculated.
According to the rules, a player is allowed the postponement of three games if he can show a medical certificate. Fischer, however, does not believe in doctors, nor, according to his lawyers, does he approve of the official position of the Icelandic Chess Federation, which demands such verification.
Mr. Davis proposed that the American player make an appearance tomorrow in a ceremony with Spassky to make the drawing for the first game—that is, to flip a coin to see who would have the white pieces, which give the advantage of initiative to their player. If the Russians agree to this, Mr. Davis said, the United States delegation is prepared to offer the Russians an extra medical postponement.
Some observers are calling the Fischer request for postponement a battle in the continuing war of nerves on Fischer's part. But Spassky appeared in good spirits today. He was seen at lunch laughing and joking, and obviously entirely relaxed.
Fischer's absence from the inaugural ceremony tonight at the National Theater is causing a good deal of local indignation.
An elaborate ceremony had been planned. Originally the President of Iceland was scheduled to make a speech, followed by the Lord Mayor of Reykjavik, the Russian Ambassador, the American chargé d'affaires, and other notables. Much of this still went on, although the President, who was in the audience, did not speak.
Local Indignation
Negotiations are continuing between Mr. Davis and the Icelandic Chess Federation about the 30 per cent share of the gate receipts that Fischer is demanding. The stage of the Exhibition Hall, where the match is scheduled to take place, is ready, and the seats in the auditorium are being placed into position.
There is something sad about the stage, which has been so carefully prepared and conceivably may never be used. Three of Iceland's first artisans designed a heavy mahogany table for the occasion. It weighs about 300 pounds, its squares for the chessmen are marble inlays and there are two small matching side tables for the players to use for refreshment. After the match the table is to go to a museum.
Set up on the squares, all ready to go, are the 32 pieces of a John Jacques and Son chess set. These pieces, flown in from England, are hand-carved, lead-weighted, and cost about $300. The entire stage is covered with a heavy green carpet and there is even an extra beige carpet under the table itself.
If Fischer does not show up and the match is declared forfeit, the new challenger will be Tigran Petrosian of the Soviet Union, but the site for a Spassky-Petrosian match would have to be renegotiated. Fischer beat Petrosian in the final elimination match in Buenos Aires by a score of 6½ to 2½.
Tampa Bay Times St. Petersburg, Florida Sunday, July 02, 1972
Chess 02 Jul 1972, Sun Tampa Bay Times (St. Petersburg, Florida) Newspapers.com
