ANew York Times, New York, New York, Saturday, July 15, 1972 - Page 19
Fischer's Appeal On Forfeit Fails by Harold C. Schonberg
Chess Panel Upholds Ruling Giving Second Game in Match to Spassky
Reykjavik, Iceland, July 14—A four man committee voted today to uphold the decision of Lothar Schmid, the referee in the world chess championship match here, that Bobby Fischer, the American challenger, had forfeited yesterday's game to Boris Spassky, the Soviet titleholder.
Fischer, contending that he was disturbed by film and television equipment ([and the men operating the television equipment]), had not shown up for the game, the second in a projected series of 24. The committee's decision was described as irrevocable ([with 3/4th of the committee prejudicial toward playing Soviet favoritism])
In a letter from Fischer to Schmid protesting the forfeit, the American ended by saying that he would not continue play unless the film and television equipment were removed from the hall, and unless the forfeit was revoked. If Fischer adheres to this position, and if the forfeit is indeed irrevocable, it would seem that the match has come to an end. ([Which is what the Soviets want.])
The next game is scheduled Sunday, and Schmid has said he will also forfeit that game to Spassky if Fischer does not appear.
‘Grossly Below Standards’
Fischer's letter, sent last night, contended that playing conditions were “grossly below the minimum standards.” The organizers of the match, he wrote, were more anxious to placate the “movie-camera gang than to provide playing conditions worthy of the world's chess championship.”
Asserting that he had been distracted during the first game on Tuesday ([by disruptive men operating the cameras]) and the playoff on Wednesday, Fischer, who lost the game, then demanded that all cameras ([and the noisy, disruptive men operating them]) be removed from Exhibition Hall or he would not show up for the Thursday game.
There appears to be an error in a crucial paragraph of Fischer's letter, however. Recounting the events that led to his decision to break up the game, Fischer wrote in his protest:
“When I asked my representative to report the conditions at the playing hall for today's game [the second game, for which Fischer never showed up], I learned at 1 P.m. and was told against at 4 P.M. that all three [camera] shooting sites which had been removed for the adjourned game at my insistence, were in full operating, focused on the playing table, and had been returned to the positions they occupied on the opening day.”
In fact, the television towers had been taken out of the hall for the adjourned game and the cameras had been moved to a position where they were invisible and inaudible. ([But were the men who operate those inanimate devices, “invisible and inaudible”])
Both Positions Given
At a meeting this morning before the four-man committee, Fischer was represented by his lawyer, Andrew Davis, who had arrived from New York a few hours earlier. Mr. Davis stated the American's position. Efim Geller, who is Spassky's second, gave the Russian petition, and the committee retired to arrive at its decision. ([Which would of course, no matter what circumstances, be judged in favor of the Soviets.])
CAPTION: Chester Fox, who has filming rights of the champion chess match, meeting before dawn yesterday with Bobby Fischer, right, at Fischer's hotel in Reykjavik.
Mr. Davis argued that the clock in yesterday's game had been started illegally by the referee. He said that Rule 18 of the agreement on terms of the match, which concerns noise, supports Fischer's position. Noise control, argued Mr. Davis, is a responsibility of the organizers. If the film producers object to the removal of the cameras, he said, they can go to court.
Mr. Geller did not make much of an issue of the noise problem, saying that the matter could be further discussed. But he asserted that under the rules, the referee was correct in starting Fischer's clock because neither the play nor a medical certificate accounting for his absence was present. ([But it was well known Fischer was protesting the disruptive camera men, and in spite of a formal written protest handed in before the deadline, to file protest, that legal document was simply dismissed as if it didn't exist.]) Thus it was the duty of the referee to begin the game by starting the clock. Mr. Geller also contended that Fischer had never been in a hall with better playing conditions, and he questioned the American's sportsmanship. ([Blame the victim of Soviet schemes when Soviet “sportsmanship” has the poorest record in world history. Aside of the record of disinformation and plots to disqualify Fischer, months before the match got underway. Choosing Racist and Anti-American Iceland, to peril Fischer in calculated agenda of manipulation, the end goal being that Fischer's resistance could be worn down and lead to his forfeit, so the Soviet can claim the title by default. Scandals of doping, some athletes mysteriously dying, because the “Winning is Everything” approach justifies sacrificing people's lives, integrity and good sportsmanship to win at all cost, that's the Soviet motto]).
The committee consisted of one American, Fred Cramer; one Russian, Nikolai Krogius, and two ([bitterly Anti-American]) Icelanders, Gudmundur Arnlaugsson and Baldur Moller. Mr. Arnlaugsson is the assistant referee and Mr. Moller is a member of the Icelandic Chess Federation.
Reinspection Proposed
Mr. Arnlaugsson, speaking for the members of the committee after they had made their decision, said that they had no other choice than to support Schmid's ruling about the forfeit and that the decision was final. As for Fischer's protest about noise, they said it was impossible to come to a conclusion about so personal a matter ([Such as breaking the rules, knowingly placing cameras and disruptive crews of men to operate them, that were neither inaudible, nor invisible. “Personal” matter was an obligation “Comrade Arnlaugsson”]). The two players and their representatives were invited once again to inspect the hall.
Gudmundur Thorarinsson, president of the Icelandic Chess Federation, said every effort would be made to keep the match alive, even if it meant the permanent removal of cameras ([and not what Fischer expected, “…some kind of video tape film that didn't make any noise, just, nobody around to operate them, just sort of stationless” - Robert Fischer, speaking on his desire that automated cameras should have been used to film the match, but oddly denied, rejected, in favor of noisy teams of camera men to disrupt Game #1 and Game #2, in favor of scoring Soviet points.]) He also said that Fischer would not get any part of the purse of $250,000 if he retires from the match.
The rules specify that a player must complete all of the games before sharing the purse. But the rules do not cover the other player in such a case, and Mr. Thorarinsson said that a meeting would have to be held to determine if Spassky would get the winner's share. ([My goodness! Up till this point, the Icelandic Chess Federation has done everything in its power to disrupt Fischer, and now, Thorarinsson is already divvying up the winner's share to the Soviets! It's clear the Icelanders have no intention of allowing the American challenger to win this event.])
Nor do the rules cover the procedure when one player consistently refuses to show up ([when Organizers are breaking the rules and Fischer had the right to file protest, and such a formal written complaint was filed, before the deadline... but organizers broke the rules there too! and simply refuse to acknowledge receipt]) In tournament play, three such occurrences disqualify the player. But this is match play, not tournament play. ([And that's what the Soviets are counting on, aiming for, plots and schemes to disqualify Fischer and replace with a Soviet, had been ongoing for months.])
Spassky Expected Sunday
Schmid said Spassky would be at Exhibition Hall for the Sunday game, and that he hoped the champion would not have to be present, without an opponent, to go through the same charade nine more times to get his winning score of 12 points. Fischer, as the challenger, would need 12½ points to win.
Perhaps the International Chess Federation, Schmid said, could rule that after three consecutive forfeits by Fischer the match will be declared over. ([The Soviets are conspiring for the defaulted title!])
Mr. Davis last night said that the situation was “still up in the air” and he said that it would “come to a head in 48 hours.”
Fischer begins his Sabbath observances tonight and will do nothing for the next 24 hours.
One comment about Fischer's protest letter was made this morning by Spassky, who received the document at breakfast. “Bobby seems to be thinking about everything but chess,” he said. ([Yes, like the man perched on the roof with a camera, as described by Golombek.])
