APlayground Daily News Fort Walton Beach, Florida Sunday, July 02, 1972 - Page 2
Iceland Awaits Chess Champion
Reykjavik (UPI) - Icelandic officials waited nervously Saturday for U.S. chess Grand Master Bobby Fischer, who is scheduled to start his world championship match against Russian Boris Spassky here Sunday.
Chess sources said the International Chess Federation will presumably disqualify Fischer from world championship play if he fails to show up for the first game at 5 p.m.
Lothar Schmidt, the German Grand Master serving as official arbiter at the match, said the first game may be postponed if the official match physician finds a medical reason for Fischer to ask for a postponement.
The 29-year-old challenger three times postponed his departure from New York without giving any explanation.
Some chess sources said he was playing a game of nerves, trying to upset the 35-year-old champion, who has been in Iceland since June 21 preparing for the marathon match which will include 24 games.
Others said Fischer was stalling because he was not happy with the money offered.
The Icelandic organizers have put up $125,000 in prize money with five-eighths going to the winner and the rest to the loser.
The sources said Fischer suddenly demanded an additional 30 per cent share of the gate receipts but the Icelandic Chess Federation rejected it.
