AThe Boston Globe Boston, Massachusetts Tuesday, July 05, 1972 - Page 1
([Wrong Mr. Dondis. Soviet are making these decisions from Moscow. Mr. Spassky is simply following orders. The Soviet was throwing temper tantrums all along. The press simply chose to ignore them.])
It's Spassky's Turn for Temper by Harold Dondis, Globe Correspondent
Reykjavik, Iceland — The most eagerly awaited confrontation since Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier is still just that — eagerly awaited — as a tumultuous day in Iceland ended with Russian chess champion Boris Spassky throwing a temper tantrum of his own.
Consequently, the Chess Match of the century will start no sooner than tomorrow, if it ever starts at all.
Bobby Fischer, American one-time boy wonder, showed up here yesterday, just in time for Spassky to refuse to play until Fischer is punished for delaying the match.
“What am I supposed to do” asked International Chess Federation President, Dr. Max Euwe, “put him in the corner?”
As most people are aware by now, the match for the world chess championship, a Russian preserve for many years, was to have begun on Sunday. But Fischer, in the finest recent tradition of American athletes, held out for more money and refused to show up.
Enter a British millionaire, one Jim Slater, who kicked in additional money, raising the prize money to $150,000 to the winner and $100,000 to the loser. This apparently met with Fischer's approval, for he ended his holdout and flew to Iceland.
Then it was Spassky's turn. Claiming he was insulted by Fischer's action (after all, he is the champion, and is there really such a thing as a drawing card in chess?), he and a contingent of representatives protested via a formal complaint issued to Dr. Euwe.
The situation is this: Before the first pawn is moved, Spassky must be assuaged for his hurt feelings, Fischer must be satisfied as to the playing conditions and they must draw for piece colors (white gets to move first, and there are those who say Fischer cannot be beaten when he has white.)
Meanwhile, an official two day extension has been granted before the first of 24 matches will be played. That leaves plenty of time for additional psychological warfare, which many experts say is all this whole thing is about, anyway.
