ASpokane Daily Chronicle Spokane, Washington Saturday, July 08, 1972 - Page 20
New Chess Woes Crop Up
Reykjavik, Iceland (UPI)—The Boris Spassky-Bobby Fischer world chess championship match, already delayed for nine days, ran into new problems today when the chief arbiter left Iceland.
U.S. chess sources said Fischer, the 29-year-old American challenger, is “at peak form and raring to go” into the first game Tuesday against the world champion, Russia's Spassky.
But the sources said there might have to be another postponement—until Thursday—since chief arbiter Lothar Schmid will not be back in town until then.
Son Injured
Schmid, a West German grandmaster and the owner of a book publishing firm in Bamberg, flew home this morning and said he would return Thursday. He said he was leaving because one of his sons had been injured in a traffic accident.
Schmid's assistant arbiter, Gudmundur Arnlaugsson of Iceland, will be in charge of final preparations, which include the touchy job of picking the chess sets and board to be used.
Schmid said he had invited the two players to come to the hall together tomorrow to check on the facilities and hopefully approve them. But his meeting was called off after Schmid left.
Spassky also left town and went north with Icelandic friend and chess player, Freysteinn Thorbergsson, on a salmon fishing trip Russian officials said Spassky would be back Monday, at the latest.
Bid Turned Down
Thorbergsson also invited Fischer along, but the American turned down the invitation to observe his Church of God's Sabbath from last night until tonight.
Before leaving Spassky said he was not going to argue about the practical arrangements or the picking of sets and boards. “I will leave that to Bobby — it makes no difference to me,” the 35-year-old champion told newsmen.
Fred Cramer, vice president of the U.S. Chess Federation, said the arrangements although “far superior to anything we have seen before,” could cause some problems. “But they are not important enough to wreck the match,” he said.
Cramer said Fischer was “absolutely relaxed and feeling great.”
He said he and Fischer came out of hiding last night and dined in public in a Reykjavik restaurant.
“Funnily enough nobody recognized Bobby,” Cramer said. “He had a great time. He loves the fish here in Iceland and he had fresh boiled salmon and orange juice.”
The Honolulu Advertiser Honolulu, Hawaii Sunday, July 09, 1972 - Page 87
Latest Chess Crisis: The Judge Bugs Out
Before departing Schmid said he was not entirely happy with the massive mahogany chess table provided by the organizers.
“IT'S NOT VERY practical and I would like another table,” he said. “On the other hand it's sad to discard it since the Icelanders have had it specially made and intent to put it in a museum after the match.”
Schmid Complains About Chess Board 09 Jul 1972, Sun The Honolulu Advertiser (Honolulu, Hawaii) Newspapers.com
The Cincinnati Enquirer Cincinnati, Ohio Sunday, July 09, 1972 - Page 2
Fischer, who is staying in the presidential suite at Loftleider Hotel—the plushest in town—and sometimes at a private guarded house put at his disposal, went swimming Friday before the Sabbath.
“He has access to the hotel swimming pool after hours,” Cramer said. “He is swimming like an athlete and he is in great physical form.”
Championship Chess Match May Face Further Delay 09 Jul 1972, Sun The Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, Ohio) Newspapers.com
