AThe Cincinnati Enquirer Cincinnati, Ohio Thursday, July 20, 1972 - Page 2
Silence To Reign In Chess Game
Reykjavik (UPI) — Organizers of the Boris Spassky-Bobby Fischer world chess championship Wednesday said they hoped television cameras would be back in the hall for Thursday's fifth game.
Workers built sound-proof boxes at the entrances to the playing hall during the afternoon to block the sound of clattering dishes and voices from a nearby cafeteria. German judge Lothar Schmid said he heard noises during Tuesday's fourth game.
THE FIFTH game is scheduled for Thursday at 5 p.m. (1 p.m. EDT) with Spassky opening with white. The Russian, defending for the first time the world championship title he won in 1969, holds a 2.5 to 1.5 advantage in the 24 matches series.
(In New York, lawyers representing Fischer and Chester Fox, who bought all film and television rights to the games, met to discuss whether or not cameras will be allowed to record the event.)
Gudmundur Thorarinsson, president of the Icelandic Chess Federation, said “Fischer is adamantly opposed to all cameras but we know there is one solution he'll accept.” ([Would that “solution” happen to be the silent, automatic “closed-circuit cameras” he was originally misled to believe would be in use?])
“I cannot disclose which,” he said.
The 29-year-old challenger relaxed in his presidential suite at the Loftleider Hotel Wednesday reviewing moves from Tuesday's game. Experts said Fischer was fortunate to escape from the game with a draw.
Running through translated comments from Icelandic grandmaster Fridrik Olafson criticizing one of his moves, Fischer nodded and said; “Yes, I agree it was not very clever.”
Grandmasters in the Icelandic capital for the championship said Spassky played a couple of dubious moves late in the game which cost him victory.
Aides said Fischer was surprised by Spassky's strong opening attack and said the challenger was only too pleased to escape with half a point.
“I told you it would be a tough match once we got down to the tacks. Bobby is in fine shape. He gets a lot of sleep and does not sm*** big c**ars or chew through three packets of c**ar****s like Mr. Byrne.” Fischer's second, the Rev. William Lombardy, said smiling at U.S. grandmaster Robert Byrne.
Spassky was “relaxed, smiling and satisfied with everything, especially the food. Thorarinsson said after visiting the Russian in his hotel.
Unlike Fischer, who rarely moves out of his suite ([which is no mystery, since threats on Fischer's life were issued by radicals among the Anti-American, Racist Icelandic population]), Spassky walks around freely and takes most of his meals in the eighth-floor restaurant. He has a special liking for Icelandic lamb.
Fischer's favorite dish is “skyr,” an Icelandic milk specialty. He arrive for the fourth game seven minutes late because he did not want to rush through a meal at the hotel cafeteria.
Poor weather prevented Spassky from playing tennis, a favorite pastime, but American sources said Fischer visited the Keflavik U.S. Air Base twice to bowl.
Silence To Reign In Chess Game 20 Jul 1972, Thu The Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, Ohio) Newspapers.com
