AThe Record Hackensack, New Jersey Friday, July 07, 1972 - Page 4
Spassky Will Play First Tuesday
LA Times News Service. Reykjavik, Iceland—The world chess championship competition formally opened last night after a five-day delay and a comedy of errors which often threatened to reduce the noble sport to a $250,000 farce.
The opening ceremony was as unorthodox as the preliminaries were unprecedented. It consisted of a draw for the right to play white, or first, in the opening game between defending world champion Boris Spassky of Russia and American challenger Bobby Fischer.
Spassky won. He also won the apparent last battle in the struggle for cash, position, and prestige which has waxed hot here since the preliminaries began a week ago.
The champion refused to play the first of 24 scheduled games Sunday, and said he would begin Tuesday. Fischer, who had wanted to play Sunday, did not object.
First Challenge
Still not cleared up was the heated issue of whether Fischer should be penalized the first game. The Soviets demanded this, but agreed to put it aside and get on with the match, the first challenge to Soviet domination of championship chess in 35 years.
Fischer has demanded that chess professionals be paid as well as other professional sportsmen.
The original threats posed by Fischer were further complicated by the desperate effort of the World Chess Federation and its Icelandic chapter to make sure the match didn't collapse. They bent over backwards to satisfy Fischer, then had to do the same for Spassky when he began making his own demands.
The situation was further complicated by the cold war overtones of an American challenger playing a Soviet champion.
The drawing ceremony lasted 12 minutes. The two players appeared in the hall 40 minutes late, Fischer in a green suit and Spassky in his salt-and-pepper sports jacket and slacks. The two of them were followed by their dark-suited teams of advisers, seconds, and the like.
Fischer appeared relaxed, Spassky a bit uptight. Both fooled around with pieces on the board for a while as grand master Harry Golombek introduced them and their various lieutenants.
The drawing ceremony started with both men receiving a white envelope. Inside one was a paper signifying that the owner had to pick up a black and a white pawn, mix them up, and hold them out to the other.
Spassky won. He broken into a smile for the first time during the ceremony, walked a few paces back and returned, holding out both fists.
Fischer did not hesitate. He picked Spassky's right hand—the black pawn. Spassky plays first Tuesday.
“The first step has been taken,” said chief arbiter Lothar Schmid. Curiously, he did not declare the match open. The shocks of the past week have made him cautious.
Fischer gave Spassky a swift handshake and turned to leave. Spassky tightened his grip on Fischer's hand and pulled him back.
“And good luck,” Spassky said.
