The Daily Reporter Dover, Ohio Friday, June 30, 1972 - Page 3
Fischer Threatened With Blacklisting If He Fails To Show For Chess Match
Amsterdam (AP) — The president of the World Chess Federation has threatened American champion Bobby Fischer with blacklisting following reports he is holding out for a cut of the gate receipts from his World Series with Boris Spassky of Russia.
Dr. Max Euwe, the world federation president and veteran Dutch grandmaster, said Thursday night that if the 29-year-old American fails to appear Sunday for the start of the world chess championship in Reykjavik, Iceland, he stands to lose his rights to play for the world title not only this time but perhaps forever.”
Fischer was seen Thursday night at New York's Kennedy airport, but Icelandic Airlines said he did not board its flight to Reykjavik. When newsmen tried to question him, his bodyguards fended them off.
The next flight from New York to Iceland is tonight. But Fischer in the past has refused to fly on the Jewish Sabbath, between sundown Friday and sundown Saturday.
Informed sources in Reykjavik said that Fischer informed the Icelandic Chess Federation that he wouldn't play unless he got 30 per cent of the gate receipts. This would be in addition to his share of the $125,000 purse and 30 per cent of the receipts from the sales of television and film rights already agreed to.
The Icelandic federation was reported seeking a compromise in negotiations with Fred Cramer, former president of the American Chess Federation, who is acting as Fischer's advance man. The Icelanders said they have already spent about $200,000 on preparations, and if they meet Fischer's demand they can't break even.
The gate receipts probably will be considerable. Matches will be played three to six days a week in a 2,500-seat sports palace with seats at $5 each. And the series is expected to last two months.
Euwe said he didn't expect the Icelandic Chess Federation to meet Fischer's demand. He added that it would have grounds for legal action against the American challenger if he didn't show up Sunday.
“I don't like Mr. Fischer in our chess world,” said Euwe. “He's a good player but every day we are getting another ultimatum from him like this.”
The young American has waged a relentless campaign to push championship chess toward the financial leagues hitherto reserved for the Namaths, the Hulls and the Seavers of professional sports. It is a campaign in which he gets no cooperation from the Soviet champions, who already enjoy the status of public heroes, well subsidized by their government.
Organizers smokescreening Bobby: “The Icelanders said they already have spent about $200,000 on preparations, and if they meet Fischer's demand they can't break even.” ([Sure, and part of the aforementioned 200K is ‘prize money’ so it wasn't ‘spent’. Second, Australia said it could pay for all preparations for a mere 25K. Thirdly, these same organizers later admit, “it would not stand to lose if the match were canceled.”])
