The Pensacola News Pensacola, Florida Wednesday, July 05, 1972 - Page 2
Keeping Track of the Moves by Fred Brown
HAVE YOU been keeping track of the moves in the world chess championship which was to have begun Sunday?
It's been a riot so far.
First, the American Bobby Fischer (sometimes known as the enfant terrible), says there wasn't enough money in Reykjavik, Iceland, whatever that might be, to force his presence. A measly $125,000 record pot wasn't enough for our boy.
Then the present world champ, Boris Spassky got tired of the challenger's challenges and walked out. ([Actually, that's the childish, immature Soviet Chess delegates ordering Spassky to obey their scripted-in-Moscow “stunt”]).
SOMEBODY SHOULD give the fellows a pair of leather gloves instead of knights, kings and queens.
Chess is a war of nerves and intellect, but this is getting ridiculous. The chess world awaits the match of the century and both boys are acting like a couple of teenagers ([Fischer was on the Autism Spectrum, whilst the Soviet Federation, consisting of supposedly mature adults have no excuse]) before the big prom.
Fischer, the U.S.'s only hope of claiming a world title, asked for more money (30 per cent of the gate) and got it from a Britain benefactor, who evidently is a chess buff or a fellow who likes to see a good scrap.
From the outset, Fischer has been playing heavily on the war of nerves. He said all along he wanted more money and several countries refused to meet his demands. ([On the contrary! Many nations offered MUCH higher bids, because Fischer was in high demand, the highest was Australia coming in at a heavy $225,000 -- with 200k of that going for prize money, whilst 25k reserved for organizational expenses. Mexico -- $175k, Argentina a debated figure of $150k, et al, but the Soviet didn't want such sweet incentives to entice non-Soviet federation players into competition, making it possible for somebody other than a Soviet, to successfully challenge for the world title. And, by Fischer demanding more cash prize, he succeeded in breaking one of the links enabling the Soviet monopoly.])
THE RUSSIAN, backed by Moscow as are all Russian chess players (it's their national sport), said he was ready to play.
But, the pressure is on Spassky. He is the world king. He must win. Russia has never lost a world championship. And to do so now would be a slap in the face. Especially to Fischer, who says he is simply the greatest of them all.
Fischer is sort of a Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) of the chess world.
Spassky no doubt feels the pressure and all this bantering back and forth has got to work on him further. But, just as in other sports, you don't get to be world champ by sitting in a corner on a stool taking the count.
NOW THAT Fischer's money demands have been met, it is time to get on with the work at hand — the 24-game championship.
The Soviets have filed their protest and everything is in order on the face front. It is time to see who actually is the world champ.
Any further deal would resemble a couple of baseball players refusing to play in a world series because their pay check wasn't enough.
Fischer, the chess phenom, has been criticized for his actions. But he alone has taken the game out of the realm of dusty obscurity and made it into something across sports pages in this country.
AND HE alone can bring the title to the U.S.
Now, it is the Russian's turn to move. And watch out for that first checkmate. It could be a nasty one.
Keeping Track of the Moves 05 Jul 1972, Wed The Pensacola News (Pensacola, Florida) Newspapers.com
Keeping Track of the Moves 05 Jul 1972, Wed The Pensacola News (Pensacola, Florida) Newspapers.com
