ATimes Colonist Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Tuesday, April 18, 1972 - Page 8
Fischer's 'Whims' Annoy
(Caption: UNRESOLVED is the place and time of a 24-game match between Bobby Fischer, left, U.S. contender for the world chess championship, and Boris Spassky, Russian defender of the title.)
Moscow (AP) — The Soviet Union jumped into the international wrangle over the Boris Spassky-Bobby Fischer world championship chess match Tuesday, charging Fischer with “endless whims” and the International Chess Federation with “connivance.”
In a statement distributed by Tass, the Soviet Chess Federation said the U.S. challenger is “fully responsible” for jeopardizing his title match with the Soviet champion. It also accused Dr. Max Euwe of Amsterdam, president of the international federation, of playing favorites and catering to those “endless whims” of Fischer's. The question of where and whether the match will be held has become increasingly clouded since Fischer refused to comply with the original financial arrangements and demanded a cut of the profits for himself and Spassky in addition to prize money.
The 24-game match originally was scheduled to he split between Belgrade. Yugoslavia and Reykjavik. Iceland, beginning June 22 in Belgrade.
Belgrade pulled out after Fischer demanded more money.
Euwe said Sunday the first half of the match might be moved to Amsterdam.
The Iceland federation said it felt Fischer broke the original agreement, and therefore questioned his right to challenge Spassky.
Fischer's 'Whims' Annoy Tue, Apr 18, 1972 – 8 · Times Colonist (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) · Newspapers.com
Soviet hyperbole. Fischer requested one “whim”. Requesting a share of gate for himself and Spassky [One]. Not a lot to ask. Meanwhile, “endless” Soviet exaggerations Fischer ever said anything about “refusing to play in either Belgrade or Reykjavik,” illegal demands for 35k guarantees and cancellations of sites… the Soviet Chess Fed qualifies as the true “Prima Donna” of the chess world.
The Missoulian Missoula, Montana Tuesday, April 18, 1972 - Page 10
Dutch Frown On Fischer
The Hague, The Netherlands, — The board of the National Dutch Chess Union has decided to give up all efforts to organize a world championship chess match between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky.
Gerard Kapsenberg, secretary-general of the Dutch Union, said this Monday after receiving information from the International Chess Federation that Fischer has refused to play either in Belgrade or Reykjavik. Kapsenberg said that for the International Chess Federation only one solution remained: disqualification of Fischer.
The board of the Dutch Union considers Fischer's attitude reprehensible, Kapsenberg said, adding: “Following these Fischer maneuvers all the trumps are now in the hands of the Russians. Fischer would now have to beg the Russian Chess Union on his knees for a new deal. One cannot possibly expect Spassky to accept another agreement without cast-iron guarantees.”
The International Chess Federation requested the Dutch Union to take over the organization of half the match from Belgrade, which withdrew its offer. The other half of the match was to have been in Iceland.
Name the official, and from which federation, spreading idle rumors and an erroneous report Fischer 'refused to play in...
Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Saturday, February 13, 2021
The Morning Call Allentown, Pennsylvania Tuesday, April 18, 1972 - Page 28
Dutch Refuse to Provide Site For World Chess Title Match
New York — The Dutch Chess Union announced Monday that the Netherlands would not be the site of the first half of the world chess championship match this summer between Bobby Fischer of the United States and Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union.
The International Chess Federation had asked the Dutch union last week to take over the first 12 games of the match after Belgrade had withdrawn in a dispute over a cash guarantee that Fischer would appear.
The international federation is thus without a site for the first half of the match that is tentatively scheduled to begin on June 22. The second half is scheduled to be played in Reykjavik, Iceland.
The conditions originally agreed upon in February were that prize money of $138,000, offered by Belgrade and Reykjavik, would be split, with 62.5 per cent for the winner and 37.5 per cent for the loser.
Dr. Max Euwe, president of the international federation, said last week that there was not enough time left for a repetition of bidding procedures. He said a site to replace Belgrade would be picked on a first-come, first-served basis, so long as the host country or city agreed to fulfill Belgrade's original commitment.
The Dutch union's decision to remove itself from consideration in the match arrangements was based, according to a report from The Hague, on information that Fischer had refused to play either in Belgrade or Reykjavik.
Fischer could not be reached Monday for comment. Col. Edmund Edmondson, executive director of the United States Chess federation, said, however, that Iceland was still the scheduled site for the second half of the match.
