ANew York Times, New York, New York, Thursday, July 13, 1972 - Page 31
Fischer Walks Out, Comes Back, Loses by Harold C. Schonberg
Reykjavik, Iceland, July 12 — Bobby Fischer lost the first game of his world championship chess match with Boris Spassky tonight after staging a 35-minute walkout.
Later, Fischer was reported to have said that he might not play tomorrow's scheduled second game.
The first game, adjourned after 40 moves, resumed at 5 P.M. An hour and five minutes later, in a hopeless position at the 56th move, the American challenger stood up and offered his hand. Spassky, the champion, took it, and the game became history.
One Fischer admirer said sorrowfully: “A beginner's blunder cost him the game.”
Fischer's walkout could lead to another of the blowups that have been a bewildering part of this match and the long, harrowing negotiations that preceded it. It also appeared that once again the rules had been bent in favor of the American grandmaster. Lothar Schmid, the referee, called a meeting about Fischer's walkout after the 43rd move and the objection that led to it, and he said he might have to hand down a ruling at tomorrow's game if Fischer persisted in his attitude.
Fischer objected to a television crew working from an aperture at the side of the stage. He said that the movements of one of the cameramen distracted him, and he stalked off the stage. Fischer's clock was on during his absence and when he finally returned to the chess board, he was left with 25 minutes to make 16 moves.
Officials of the Icelandic Chess Federation and members of the Fischer delegation rushed backstage when Fischer made his objection, and pressure was brought on the cameramen to leave. It was reported that the camera was dismantled.
Schmid later said that he had had no part in the decision to eject the cameraman. But, Schmid said, if Fischer persisted in his objections, there would be trouble. Schmid specifically cited two rules in the contract governing the match.
Rule 17 involved the sportsmanship of the players, and specifies that it if forbidden to disturb an opponent on the move. In Schmid's opinion, Spassky was disturbed. ([But that Fischer reports being disturbed by disruptive camera crews… “NYET PROBLEMA!” say the U.S.S.R.])
Rule 21 states that television coverage, as part of the agreement among the parties to the match, is permitted.
Fischer, according to Schmid, claimed that since he personally had not signed any agreement, the rules did not apply to him. But Schmid — who was trained as a lawyer — said that since Fischer had started the match without making any objection, he legally was considered to have agreed to the rules.
([Says Fischer to Johnny Carson in November 1972: “I was more disappointed than anybody that this thing wasn't televised because, you know, there was a lot of publicity and a lot of money involved and I wanted the people to see me in action. Let's face it. But 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.” See the “Bobby Fischer Chess Hall of Shame” Fischer 1 Camera 0. The bigger question is, who led Fischer to believe, Soviet controlled Icelandic organizers would provide stationary, unmanned, automatic video cameras? Was Fischer misled by the Soviet Union, Iceland and Chester Fox so that Fischer didn't make said objections prior to his arrival in Iceland? Actually, Fischer DID make objections before the opening July 11th match began … … The Times-News Twin Falls, Idaho Tuesday, July 10-11, 1972 “The $250,000 world championship chess match between American Bobby Fischer and Russia's Boris Spassky was still go today, but Fischer made a last minute demand to stop televising the first of the 24-game series. “There will be no TV filming tonight, but we hope some other arrangements can be made so they can film later during the match,” said Fred Cramer, vice president of the U.S. Chess Federation. Fischer said the television cameras, hidden behind cloth-covered scaffolding above the stage where the players will sit, would distract him.”]) So this was not “news” to Schmid. The Soviet and Icelandic organizers very much desired the distractions created by camera crews to disrupt Fischer's concentration… and ultimately, knowing Fischer would win the championship, to suppress coverage of the humiliating defeat of Soviet arrogance.])
Later, after the meeting called by Schmid, aides to Fischer—who was off bowling while the meeting was going on—said he had threatened to boycott tomorrow's game unless all cameras were forbidden in the auditorium.
Fischer, his spokesman said, objected not only to the television equipment, but also to the popping of flash bulbs on cameras in the audience.
Opinion Changes Overnight
Before the adjournment last night, Fischer had given up a bishop for two pawns. At the time, it was not known whether he had blundered on his 29th move, or whether he had a continuation so deep that nobody could see it. ([HE WAS DISTRACTED. JUST AS HE SAID HE WAS. SOVIET MAKE UNSCRUPULOUS ILLEGAL MOVES, OFF THE CHESSBOARD BECAUSE THEY KNEW THEY WOULD NOT WIN, ON THE BOARD.])
A night of analysis convinced the experts that Fischer's move was indeed one of the strangest lapses in grandmaster history.”
Fischer's magic is such that even some grandmasters thought, directly after adjourned position, that he might be able to draw, but that was yesterday. This morning at breakfast, Spassky was smiling and appeared confident and relaxed. Fischer was not to be seen at all.
Nikolai Krogius, the Soviet grandmaster who is Spassky's psychologist, said before play was resumed that Fischer was lost. So did an American grandmaster, Robert Byrne.
Chess enthusiasts who had spent the night testing every possible combination agreed, and so it turned out.
Theories are being advanced about Fischer's incredible blunder. One, taken seriously by chess experts, involves the temperament of the two players.
Fischer, so goes the thinking, was so eager to win the first game that Spassky purposely played a dull line, trading off pieces and waiting until the bored and irritated American would do something rash. In other words, Fischer was lured out of a drawn position into a loss.
This theory may sound far-fetched, but such things have been known to happen. Bent Larsen, a great Danish player, for example, often throws away a draw in his eagerness to win. Such impulsiveness is not normal to Fischer's cool, precise style, but this first game was something special, and Fischer gambled and lost.
Many Theories Advanced
Another theory holds that Fischer has been so preoccupied with the business and controversial aspects of the match that he has not prepared himself as thoroughly as he might have done.
And still another explanation is not really a theory. It is, simply, that the great Bobby Fischer made a mistake. ([Likely because he was distracted by noisy camera crewmen.])
“Fischer did not think enough about the move,” said one American grandmaster. “He rushed into it and he goofed.”
A goodsized audience saw the hour-long playoff today, and the crowd was enthusiastic and well-behaved as it had been at the opening. Fans in the auditorium were scrupulous about not making noise.
Many spectators had high-powered binoculars with them. It was reported by one binocular-owner, who had his glasses on the stage yesterday when Fischer made the 29th move, that Spassky's face took on a look of sheer incredulity.
Normally, Spassky is a study in impassivity during a game. So, for that matter, is Fischer. Both are professionals who, like professional prize fighters are trained never to show emotion.
Aside from Fischer's walkout, neither player has done anything unusual during the actual course of play. Neither is a smoker, and neither has ordered food or beverage to be brought to the stage.
For the most part, they sit motionless and stare at the board. Occasionally, one or the other may get up to stretch his legs, disappearing behind the stage curtains into an area reserved for the players. Seldom are they away more than five minutes at a time.
Spassky Strolls Stage
While Fischer was having his television troubles today, Spassky disappeared for a while, and he also strolled around the stage. Instead of the rather formal business suit with vest he wore yesterday, Spassky was wearing a part of light-colored slacks, a white shirt and tie and a sports jacket. Fischer, too, wore a tie and jacket.
Historians around here are busily citing precedents in previous championship play. They point out at least three examples of players in a world championship match losing the first game and going on to win.
Spassky lost the first game to Tigran Petrosian in 1969, Petrosian lost to Mikhail Botvinnik in 1963, and Dr. Max Euwe lost to Alexander Alekhine in 1935.
The match has quite literally just begun. Spassky has 1 point; he needs 11 more to retain his title. Fischer needs 12½ points to wrest the title from the 35-year-old Soviet star.
The chess historians gathered here are asking: Has Spassky the Indian sign on Fischer? The 29-year-old American has yet to win a game from Spassky and the score is now four victories and two draws for Spassky.
Fischer has the white pieces tomorrow night, however, and this time—assuming he players—he will be on the attack, presumably thirsting for blood.
