APacific Daily News Agana Heights, Guam Sunday, April 02, 1972 - Page 24
FIDE Delivers Ultimatum To Fischer Sun, Apr 2, 1972 – 24 · Pacific Daily News (Agana Heights, Guam) · Newspapers.com
FIDE Delivers Ultimatum To Fischer
Amsterdam, (AP)—The World Chess Federation—FIDE—Friday night asked the U.S. Chess Federation to guarantee that challenger Robert Fischer would play world champion Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union as agreed in Amsterdam on March 20.
If not, the FIDE Secretariat warned in a communique released here, or if an answer arrives after the deadline of April 4, FIDE president doctor Max Euwe will regard it as a refusal of the American challenger to play the match.
At the agreement reached in Amsterdam it was decided to split the match between Belgrade, Yugoslavia, and Reykjavik, Iceland, after Fischer and Spassky could not agree on the venue.
The agreement was signed by all chess federations concerned, the FIDE secretariat said, adding that Fischer was represented by Edmund Edmondson, the Executive Director of the American Chess Federation.
FIDE Delivers Ultimatum To Fischer Sun, Apr 2, 1972 – 24 · Pacific Daily News (Agana Heights, Guam) · Newspapers.com
Two days later, however, Fischer sent telegrams to the Yugoslav and Icelandic federations in which he demanded a cut from television revenue and other possible receipts in addition to the newly set price fund of 138,000 dollars. He also stated that Edmondson was not authorized to accept the Amsterdam agreement in his name.
The two organizing federations replied they could not accept a change in the agreement and refused to comply with Fischer's demands, the FIDE secretariat said.
Dr. Euwe also sent a telegram to the Yugoslav Chess Federation asking them to defer any decision on the staging of the first leg of the match—which was scheduled to have started in Belgrade June 22—until after he received an answer from the U.S. Federation.
FIDE Delivers Ultimatum to Fischer Sun, Apr 2, 1972 – 24 · Pacific Daily News (Agana Heights, Guam) · Newspapers.com
Before this cable arrived, however, the Belgrade organizers announced they were dropping plans to stage the match, because they were not in a position to take any further risk about organizing the match in the term between June 22 and July 18.
In his cable to the U.S. Federation Euwe stressed FIDE will not directly negotiate with Fischer, but only through the intercession of the U.S. Federation, FIDE said.
FIDE Secretary, H.J. Slavekoorde declined to comment on the prospects of the match being held, but admitted the situation is extremely critical.
He said the matter was especially complicated because Euwe at present is in Australia and handled the whole subject by telephone.
FIDE Delivers Ultimatum To Fischer Sun, Apr 2, 1972 – 24 · Pacific Daily News (Agana Heights, Guam) · Newspapers.com
