AArizona Daily Star Tucson, Arizona Friday, April 14, 1972 - Page 17
U.S. Group Loses Bid To Discuss Problems Of Chess Title Match
Americans Refuse To Post Guarantee
Amsterdam (AP) — The World Chess Federation rejected Thursday a request from the American Chess Federation for a telephone conference to iron out problems of the upcoming match between world champion Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union and American challenger Bobby Fischer.
Belgrade chess authorities said the match could not he held there because the U.S. federation would not put up a $35,000 guarantee that Fischer would appear. The American chess champion has been arguing over what he would be paid.
At the U.S. federation's headquarters in Newburgh, N.Y., Col. E.B. Edmondson, executive director, said he would try to contact the world unit's president anyway.
“I don't see how meaningful negotiations can be conducted when you can't make contact.” Edmondson said. “The whole thing is such a snarl of garbled communications at this point that I don't think anything has been handled very well on anyone's part.”
Asked about the U.S. federation's refusal to post the $35,000 bond requested by Belgrade authorities, Edmondson replied: “Its difficult to refuse an illegal demand. We don't recognize that there was such a demand.”
The Yugoslav chess organizers said that even if the bond was put up later, it would be too late to finish the technical preparations for the match in time, the World Chess Federation related.
According to the original agreement the match was to begin June 22 in Belgrade and move later to Reykjavik, Iceland.
The Orlando Sentinel Orlando, Florida Friday, April 14, 1972 - Page 3
Fischer's Demands Kill Chess Match
Amsterdam (Reuter) The World Chess Federation canceled the world championship encounter in Belgrade between Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union and his U.S. challenger Bobby Fischer Thursday, after a long dispute with Fischer over financial terms.
Belgrade was to have been the site for the first half of the championship match from June 22 to July 8. The second half was fixed for Reykjavic, Iceland.
THE WORLD Chess Federation, (FIDE), based in Amsterdam, said it informed the national associations of the Soviet Union, United States, Iceland and Yugoslavia of the cancellation Thursday. Its secretary was now asking FIDE President Max Euwe, who is in Australia, for instructions on what to do next.
Terms for the match were originally agreed on March 31, but Fischer subsequently sought a larger financial share, including a share of television and film fees.
Although on April 4, the U.S. Chess Federation advised FIDE that Fischer agreed to the date and site for the match against Spassky, the message made no reference to the financial terms.
FURTHER exchanges failed to sort out the problems, and to satisfy the Belgrade organizers the federation asked the Soviet and the United States Chess Federations each to provide a $35,000 guarantee that their players would meet as arranged.
The guarantee was provided by the Soviet Federation but was not forthcoming from the United States. Two days ago the Belgrade organizers finally withdrew their offer to play host, saying it would be impossible for them to make preparations in time.
The San Francisco Examiner San Francisco, California Friday, April 14, 1972 - Page 15
Stalemate in Fischer-Spassky World Chess Tourney Doubted
Newburgh (N.Y.) — (AP) Col. E. B. Edmondson, executive director of the American Chess Federation, says he has been assured that every effort will be made to prevent the world championship chess match between Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer from being stalemated.
The World Chess Federation announced in Amsterdam yesterday that the first half of the keenly anticipated match scheduled in June at Belgrade, Yugoslavia, had been canceled.
The WCF canceled the play after Belgrade organizers decided not to play host to the match because the American federation refused to put up a $35,000 guarantee that Fischer would appear. The American challenger has demanded a percentage of the proceeds.
The Guardian London, Greater London, England Friday, April 14, 1972 - Page 2
Spassky Kept Waiting
Amsterdam, April 13
The first leg of the chess world championship match between Bobby Fischer of the United States and Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union was cancelled today by the Belgrade sponsors, the International Chess Federation said.
The Federation, in a communiqué, said the matches to be played in Belgrade on June 22 to July 18 were cancelled because the American Chess Federation failed to provide a £13,430 guarantee that Fischer would play in Belgrade. The Federation said the Russians agreed to a similar guarantee for Spassky.
The communiqué said that on March 20 the International Federation asked for a financial guarantee that Fischer would agree to match arrangements reached in Amsterdam on March 20. The US Federation replied on April 4 that Fischer would play at the agreed sites and times but did not mention financial aspects, the Federation said.
On April 5. the communiqué said, the International Federation asked for the £13,430 guarantee. The Soviet reply was positive, the American reply was negative, the Federation said.
“As a gesture of goodwill the International Federation gave the US Federation respite until April 13 at 8 am, stressing that an insurance policy to the same value was also acceptable,” the communiqué said. The Federation said the guarantee request was ignored. — UPI.
New York Times, New York, New York, Friday, April 14, 1972 - Page 40
Fischer-Spassky Games in Belgrade Canceled, World Chess Group Says by Linda Charlton
The first half of the world championship chess match between Bobby Fischer of the United States and Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union—the subject of protracted haggling and negotiation—was canceled yesterday. But moves to reverse the cancellation were already under way.
The cancellation involved the first 12 games scheduled to be played in Belgrade in June.
The second half—and there would have to be at least one game and possibly as many as 12 in that half—is to be played in Iceland.
The cancellation was announced in The Hague by the International Chess Federation. The president of the federation, Dr. Max Euwe, on a lecture tour in Australia, was telephoned last night by Col. E. B. Edmondson, director of the United States Chess Federation.
Colonel Edmondson said, after his telephone talk with Dr. Euwe, that the international official knew nothing of the cancellation and “assured me that he would make every effort to save the situation.”
Informed by Media
Colonel Edmondson said he had learned of the cancellation not from the world chess group, but from the news media. Fischer is at Grossinger's, the Adirondacks resort, accepting no telephone calls. But Colonel Edmondson said he would “probably be informed of the situation this evening.”
Behind the international organization's announcement was the decision of the Belgrade organizers not to play host to the match because the United States Chess Federation had refused to put up a $35,000 guarantee for Fischer's appearance. The Soviet Union agreed to a like guarantee for Spassky.
The colonel, asked how the cancellation of the Belgrade series affected the second half of the match, scheduled for Reykjavik, Iceland, said: “I'm hoping that the second half will stay the second half.”
Colonel Edmondson, asked what sort of agreement might be worked out to “save the situation,” replied: “How can you reach any compromise if the party won't even talk with you?”
A ‘Misunderstanding’
He was referring to the world federation's rejection of a request from the American group for a telephone conference.
He said he felt a “misunderstanding” had been caused by the world group secretariat's “being used to relay messages rather than having direct contact between the Belgrade organizers and the players.” The secretariat, he said, was assuming “powers that aren't rightfully theirs.”
The basis for the American federation's rejection of the $35,000 demand from Belgrade, he said, was its conviction that such a request was “an illegal one, not provided for in any agreements.” The guarantee demand was prompted by fears that Fischer, who has been dissatisfied with the financial arrangements, might not show up as scheduled.
The world federation said that it had extended the deadline for acceptance of the guarantee demand until 8 A.M. yesterday “as a gesture of good-will,” but that the request was ignored despite an assurance that “an insurance policy to a value of $35,000 was also acceptable.”
When the Belgrade sponsors were informed, the statement said, they replied they were no longer willing to sponsor the match even if the guarantee was forthcoming because it would not be possible now to make the necessary arrangements.
Percentage Demand
Preparations for the 12 games due in Belgrade were halted after Fischer went beyond the terms of the agreement in asking for a percentage of the proceeds, an international federation official said.
The two cities, in bidding for the match, put up a total of $138,000 in prize money, of which the winner was to receive 62.5 per cent and the loser 37.5 per cent.
The division between the two cities was itself a compromise. Fischer had wanted the entire match in Belgrade; Spassky, apparently wanting to play in a climate reminiscent of his native Leningrad, preferred Reykjavik.
The world federation, according to its statement, has informed the national federations of the United States, the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia and Iceland of the cancellation, and is seeking instructions from Dr. Euwe as to the next move.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch St. Louis, Missouri Friday, April 14, 1972 - Page 35
Chess Match May Be Held In October
Belgrade, April 14 (UPI) — The world chess title match between Russian champion Boris Spassky and United States challenger Robert Fischer may take place in Belgrade in October instead of June, Yugoslav organizers said today.
The International Chess Federation announced yesterday that the first part of the match, in Belgrade June 22 through July 18, had been canceled because the U.S. Chess Federation did not deposit a financial guarantee to ensure Fischer's appearance.
The Russian chess federation has replied positively to a request for a financial guarantee for Spassky.
The second part of the Spassky-Fischer match had been scheduled to be played in Reykjavik, Iceland, starting Aug. 6. Whether this now would become the first part of the match was not indicated.
The News Journal Wilmington, Delaware Friday, April 14, 1972 - Page 10
Scheduled to Start in June: Fischer-Spassky Match Not Till Fall, Says Slav
Belgrade (UPI) — The Belgrade organizers of the world chess title match between Soviet champion Boris Spassky and U.S. challenger Robert Fischer said today the event may take place in Belgrade in October instead of June.
“There is no chance the match will begin as scheduled on June 22,” championship director Milivoje Molerovic said. “We may only discuss the holding of the match some time in October after the 20th chess Olympic games in September,” Molerovic said.
The Yugoslav chess official was commenting on the International Chess Federation (FIDE) communique yesterday saying that the first leg of the match in Belgrade June 22-July 18 has been canceled because the U.S. Chess Federation failed to deposit a financial guarantee.
“We have not yet received FIDE's formal decision but learned about it from news agency reports. Anyway, the match in Belgrade scheduled to begin in June is now definitely off,” Molerovic said.
“We are surprised that nobody in the United States was willing to deposit a guarantee,” he said.
The FIDE requested financial guarantees that Fischer and Spassky will play under the conditions agreed among the interested sides in Amsterdam on March 20.
The Soviet Chess Federation has replied positively to the FIDE request for the financial guarantee for Spassky.
The second leg of the Spassky-Fischer match was scheduled to be played in Reykjavik, Iceland, starting Aug. 6.
