AThe Daily Herald Provo, Utah Monday, July 17, 1972 - Page 9
Chess Game Returns To Main Sports Hall
Reykjavik, Iceland (UPI) — Referee Lothar Schmid today upheld a protest from champion Boris Spassky and moved the adjourned third game of the $250,000 world chess championships back into Reykjavik's main sports hall, despite American challenger Bobby Fischer's earlier objections to it.
The Rev. William Lombardy, Fischer's second, said the 29-year-old challenger would be at the board when the game was scheduled to resume today.
“Why shouldn't he? Bobby is going to win this game,” Lombardy said after a two-hour emergency meeting with the match committee and representatives for the Russian camp.
Spassky holds a 2-0 lead in the match but Fischer had a one pawn advantage and a stronger attacking position when the third game adjourned Sunday after 41 moves. Most experts gave Fischer the edge to take the game.
Schmid said playing conditions in the backstage table tennis room on the first floor of the sports hall were inferior.
“Mr. Spassky had agreed to play there for one session only and felt the conditions were very poor. He said there was noise from the streets outside, he could hear children play and the light and the chess board was not up to the highest standard.
“I weighed the two playing venues against each other and decided to move the third game back into the big hall,” Schmid said.
The game was moved backstage Sunday after Fischer protested against the presence of closed circuit television cameras.
Caption: BORIS SPASSKY, left, world chess champion, and American Challenger Bobby Fischer, right, shown leaving the chess hall after their third chess game adjourned Sunday. The game was scheduled to resume today. The game was adjourned after Spassky made his 41st move. Fischer's 41st move was then placed in a sealed envelope where it was to remain secret until play resumed.
