AJournal and Courier Lafayette, Indiana Tuesday, July 18, 1972 - Page 18
Fourth Chess Championship Game Due--Without Turmoil
Reykjavik, Iceland (AP) — Bobby Fischer was back in the running for the world chess championship today, and it appeared that the fourth game might start this afternoon without the turmoil that has kept the match on the world's front pages for nearly two weeks.
The 29-year-old American chess whiz won his first game ever from world titleholder Boris Spassky on Monday and now trails the Russian 2-1 in their 24-game match. In seven previous meetings, Fischer lost five times and two were draws.
Spassky was at the chess board alone Monday when the third game resumed after the overnight adjournment, and referee Lothar Schmid opened Fischer's sealed 41st move, left with him the night before. It was bishop to queen six, and it put the champion's king in check.
Spassky sat for five minutes, turned his king on its side to concede defeat, and left the stage as the audience sat silent. A few minutes later, Fischer arrived. He stayed only two minutes.
The fourth game was scheduled to start at noon EST today, with Fischer having the first move because he is playing the white pieces.
Fischer lost the first game of the match last week ([due to disruptions coming from the three-men camera crews in the auditorium]), and the second was awarded to Spassky by forfeit when the American refused to play because of the presence of three movie cameras in the hall ([operated by disruptive men operating the cameras.])
The first part of the third game was played Sunday at Fischer's insistence in a private room ([other sources claim the organizers suggested it, as they knew Paul Marshall was about to press the matter in court, and yet the organizers stubbornly refused to obey the rules and remove the cameras from distracting Fischer after he demanded it done, as per the original rules as agreed with Col. Ed Edmundson of the US Chess Federation, for which rules, they, the Icelandic and Soviet organizers, had no respect]), with the audience watching on closed circuit television. The game was moved back to the main hall of the sports palace Monday when Spassky said he would not play in the private room, and Fischer made no objection.
Fischer must score 12½ points to win the title, while Spassky only needs 12 to retain it. A win in a game counts a point and a half a point.
