AThe Springfield News-Leader Springfield, Missouri Tuesday, July 04, 1972 - Page 3
Soviet Chess Group Protests Postponement
Moscow (AP) — The Soviet Chess Federation, protesting the postponement of the world chess championship in Iceland, said on Monday American challenger Bobby Fischer merits disqualification because of his demands for more money. ([Whilst the Soviet Federation protested and agitated ceaselessly for a reduction in prize money, as low as possible! then approved of an illegal 35,000 USD extortion fee “guaranteeing” Fischer would turn up in Belgrade. Doesn't that equally warrant total disqualification from chess, forever?])
In a statement distributed by the official news agency Tass, the Soviet federation also assailed the International Chess Federation—FIDE—and its president, Max Euwe.
“On the eve of the match and again with the connivance ([there goes that invective fallacy]) of the FIDE leadership the American grandmaster resorted to blackmail ([do these people know what blackmail is? What “compromising or damaging information” was Fischer threatening to reveal, to “extort” prize money? Ah. They mean “extortion”, but the facts are, Australia was willing to pay upwards $200,000 in prize money to the two champions, and Mexico would have shelled out another whopping $175,000… but Soviet demanded instead to deprive chess players of an incentive to compete. They demanded the lowest monetary reward offered among the bids, chosen for the site, where a media blackout could be achieved for lack of Satellite communications. The Soviet wanted to bury the most exciting chess event in history. In other words, the Soviet was bad for chess.]) and did not appear for the opening of the match, for the drawing of lots,” the statement said. ([Fischer agreed to play “under protest.” is all. He kept his word.])
“All this is in crying violation of FIDE rules without parallel in the history of sports competitions. ([No, actually, the Soviets were doing it themselves just about three months earlier, to sabotage the games in Belgrade, so they could achieve a total media blackout in their chosen Icelandic location.]) Fischer's actions can only be condemned ([by whom? The Soviets who use every trick in the book to monopolize sports titles to prove their illusion of 'political superiority'? Knowing, if Fischer wins it will wield a crack, so irreconcilably wide, that eventually the Soviet players themselves will begin defecting and turning against the 'Soviet superiority' illusion by the droves. The rigged matches via 'Grandmaster Draws'.. which Soviet defectors would later testify were in fact, executed among pre-arranged games. Fischer didn't imagine it. The illusions soon began crumbling after Fischer wielded that huge crack in the facade that even citizens on the other side of the Iron Curtain SAW with their own eyes and could not ignore.]) and merit his unconditional disqualification. ([so USSR can walk away with the title won through DEFAULT, by yet another paper champion? Spassky had more guts than Karpov. Spassky refused to win on technicalities… as Moscow instructed him to do behind the scenes. Spassky was no “paper champion” like Karpov and insisted to win across the chess board, not by technicalities.)]
“But instead of this, FIDE President Max Euwe undertook the more than unseemly role of Fischer's defender and, even without having any officials requests from Fischer or from persons authorized by him, decided to postpone the match for two days, using as motivation Fischer's non-existing request and mythical illness.” ([This is untrue. Whilst Cramer and co., are reported to have given false report of “fatigue” Fischer pointedly informed by phone he was neither fatigued nor in a state of illness, and Fischer knew, the match must go on WITH him … or Reykjavik would lose big. THAT is why Euwe chose to postpone the match.])
The Soviet press also was critical of Fischer and Euwe. ([complaining seems all the official Soviet magazine Tass exists for. It's called “Prima Donna tactics” and quite “temperamental” for supposedly grown adults working with the Soviet government.])
