AThe Baltimore Sun Baltimore, Maryland Saturday, April 01, 1972 - Page 3
Spassky-Fischer Chess Match Set For June is Called Off
Belgrade, Yugoslavia (AP)—The Belgrade organizers of the Boris Spassky-Bobby Fischer world chess match announced yesterday that they are scrapping plans to organize the match scheduled to start here June 22.
The first half of the 24-game contest between the world champion, Mr. Spassky, of the Soviet Union, and the American challenger, Mr. Fischer was to be played in Belgrade and the second half in Reykjavik, Iceland, under a compromise agreement.
The settlement was disclosed March 20 in Amsterdam by the International Chess Federation.
It provided that the winner would receive about three-quarters of the $138,000 prize money, and the loser would get the rest.
Mr. Fischer objected and asked the organizers in both cities to change the financial terms. When they refused he sent them telegrams saving he would not play the match.
The Belgrade organizers then demanded a pledge from the chess federation that Mr. Fischer would abide by the agreement. They set a March 31 deadline for reply. None came.
There still was a chance the contest might take place at another time, under altered conditions. But observers in Belgrade said Mr. Fischer's apparent refusal to accept the chess federation's ruling indicated he would lose a chance to play Mr. Spassky.
E. B. Edmondson, head of the U.S. Chess Federation, announced Thursday in New York that Mr. Fischer had dismissed him as his financial negotiator for the match. He said Mr. Fischer planned to conduct his own bargaining.
Mr. Fischer, staying at Grossingers resort hotel in New York state, was not taking telephone calls.
