AThe Montana Standard Butte, Montana Saturday, January 01, 1972 - Page 7
Chess Wizard Eager to Play
NEW YORK — Bobby Fischer, the 28-year-old American chess wizard, would like it best if an American city were the high bidder for next spring's world title match with Boris Spassky, 34, of the Soviet Union. His second choice would be Canada.
So far eight bids for the match have been received. Friday midnight was the deadline for offers to put up $100,000 or more for the purse. The biggest chess prize ever. Bids have been submitted by Canada, France, Iceland, Israel, Switzerland and Yugoslavia, which went in two offers. A last-minute bid came from Brooklyn on Wednesday. The winner is to get 62.5 per cent of the purse and 37.5 per cent will go to the loser.
After the bids are unsealed, both the United States Chess Federation and its Soviet counterpart must agree on the match site. Presumably the highest bidder will win the match. The deadline for this accord is Feb. 1. Fischer is expected to know the site over the weekend.
“I'd like to play in the United States because I'm used to the climate and the people and the lighting is better,” Fischer said, adding, with an enigmatic laugh:
“But I wouldn't want to play in Brooklyn. Some other American city, but not Brooklyn.”
THE BROOKLYN-BRED Fischer did not elaborate, but he is accustomed to playing his matches in such metropolitan centers as Buenos Aires and Belgrade. He earned the right to challenge Spassky, who has held the world championship since 1969, by defeating Tigran Petrosian of the Soviet Union in Buenos Aires last fall. Petrosian is a former champion.
“I'll play Spassky regardless of the site,” Fischer said. “I want the money, and I want the title even more.”
The money, he added, is very important. “I've plenty of ways to spend it, because chess is my business.”
Fischer believes his chances of taking the world title are good. “I'm looking forward to the match,” he said. “I'm definitely confident that I'll master Spassky.”
Should Fischer win the 24-game match, he would become the first American world chess champion. As it is, he is the first American challenger since the championships were instituted in 1866. Since 1951, all the champions and challengers have been Soviet players.
Although Fischer is accounted young at 28, he will not, if wins, be the youngest champion. Mikhail Tal of the Soviet Union was 23 when he gained the title in 1960. Emanuel Lasker of Germany won at 28. Fischer will be 29 on March 9.
