Asbury Park Press du lieu suivant : Asbury Park, New Jersey • Page 16

A16 ASBURY PARK SUNDAY PRESS, July 16, 1972 Bobby Fischer Displayed Temperament Early in Chess Careei i in a sum iiiase in me as great as ttmru arena. While many COUIll lH away from Tlien too, his friends point Fischer always lias the avoided publicity and ana- media have been to the challenger's seat. The consensus is that he had something else in mind through all his machinations. And to this the cynic would say, "Money." l'EMIAI'S it was money that motivated Fischer's actions. Throughout his chess career the American grandmaster has fought to improve the lot of chessplayers in the United States and abroad.

His one-man crusade for better lighting, better seating arrangements, and larger prizes is well known. And it has gotten some results, as is evident from the lively bidding for his match with Spassky. Then too, prizes in tournaments throughout the United States have been increasing steadily, along with interest in the game. Fischer believes that a professional chessplayer should be paid for his efforts just as pro football, baseball and basketball players are paid. He thinks, not without justification in the opinion of many, that rewards for excellence in chess should be withdrew it more or less gracefully.

And so, with everyone apparently mollified and happy, what has been called the "match of the century" could begin. Looking back, one can't help speculate on why it all happened. Why, after agreeing on the site and terms, did Fischer balk at playing? Was it fear of playing Spassky? Was it psychological warfare aimed at softening up his opponent? Or was the American motivated only by a desire for more money? THOSE WHO have followed James Robert Fischer's career since he won the United States championship at the age of 14 he is 29 now know ihat the former Brooklyn high school dropoout fears no one at the chessboard. Witness his unparalleled record 20 straight wins in internatonal play stretching from the interzonal in Majorca, Spain, in 1970, until the second game of his candidates match with Ti-gran Petrosian in 1971. In between he had shut out two grandmasters in candidates matches, winning each time with a 6-0 record, a feat unequalled in chess history.

Hardly the mark of a man who has fear of losing in his make-up! Was Fischer carrying out a psychological ploy in prolonging the start of the match? Was he trying to unnerve Spassky, make him tense up, even before the first pawn had been moved? Fischer, himself, has declared that he "likes to see 'em squirm," referring to his opponents. Given the importance of the match to his chess career (he stands to gain immeasurable prestige and financial awards if he wins the title), it would seem unlikely that he would use such tactics merely to soften up his adversary and by so doing jeopardize his chance of ever playing for the title at all. Granted, as one observer put it, "Bobby is making the whole world squirm," it doesn't appear that this was the principal reason for his taking such a tortuous route THEN, just when all appeared lost, there came a dramatic turn ol events such as might bo found in a television movie scenario. London investment banker, James D. Slater, feeling that money was the only thins holding Fischer back, added $125,000 to the pot.

Terms of the match call (or the winner to receive 62'j per cent of the purse, the balance going to the loser. Fischer, terming the new offer "incredible and generous and brave," boarded the next plane for Reykjavik and chess fans and probably the world at large breathed a sigh of relief. The Russians still raised some token objections (Spassky walked out of the preliminaries for the draw-tor the first move when Fischer overslept), urging that the first game be declared forfeit tc the champion. Spassky demanded an apology from Fischer for delaying' the start of the match and got it. Dr.

Euwe found no basis for meeting the Russians' demand and they may disagree with the means by which he tries to achieve his ends, few chess fans can take issue with his objectives. Admittedly the greatest chessplayer in history, ischcr also has been described as a temperinental genius. It is this side of his character that may, more than anything else, account for Ins actions over the past several months. THROUGH the years it has not been unusual to see Fischer stalk out of a tournament after a dispute over playing conditions or rules, or 'for some other reason. In he quit a match with Sammy Reshevsky, the present U.S.

champion, after a disagreement over the rules. In 1968, while leading the interzonal tournament in Sousse, Tunisia, he walked out after a dispute over adjourned games. By doing so he lost an earlier chance at the world title. The same year he shunned the World Chess Olympiad because he th'eina to him. (lie reportedly tailed to board a plane for Iceland al the last moment because the thought photographers had spotted him.) Until his appearance on television just before his match with I'etrosian, little was seen of him.

Fischer still lives an almost monastic existence, especially when training for an important match. As a professional player, he holds no other job, devoting most of his time to the game. As he once put it in a rare interview, "Chess is my life. Mv whole life." 'Psychologists are in their dement when trying to analyze Fischer's behavior. During the current hassle it has been suggested that Fischer's early years, when he had verv little money, arc reflected in his holding out for the best Possible financial THE OFFERS, unprecedented in chess history, ranged from $10,000 from Colombia to $152,000 from Belgrade, Yugoslavia.

Considering that in the past the largest purse for a chess match was $12,000, it became apparent that the proposed contest would be the richest ever held. One by one, during the course of negotiations lasting more than a month, each site was rejected by one or the other contestants. At one point, Dr. Max Euwe, World Chess Federation president, suggested that the 24-game match be divided 12 games in Belgrade and 12 games in Reykjavik. After some more haggling, Fischer rejected Belgrade as a site and Dr.

Euwe announced his historic decision the match would be held in Reykjavik and would begin July 2. Everything appeared in order. Fischer, interviewed on television, expressed confidence that he would defeat Spassky. then disappeared to make preparations for the match. Spassky voiced confidence that he would retain his title, said that he was training hard, and that his preparations were secret.

SPASSKY arrived in Iceland more than a week before the scheduled start of play and settled down to a physical conditioning routine that included almost daily By HAHKY CONOVEU You couldn't blame the Icelanders for being quite upset and not a little bewildered by it all. Here they had put up $125,000 ior the match for the world chess championship, spent $200,000 on arrangements, and insured extensive coverage by the world news media, including television, and what happens? One of the principals in the much heralded contest fails to show up for the first game! Such a turn of events was enough to chill even an Icelander, let alone the rest of the world, eagerly awaiting the clash between two titans of chess, world champion Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union and Bobby Fischer of the United States. Fischer it was who failed to appear when the match was to begin on July 2. thereby touching off a series of events that made front-page news all over the world. Of course, there had been some warning signs that the road to the title match, which finally got under way Tuesday in Reykjavik, might not be entirely smooth.

With the opening of bids for the match last January from 10 countries and five cities, a controversy started over the selection of a site which finally was resolved when the World Chess Federation decreed that the match would be held in Reykjavik or not at all. tennis matches with a member of his entourage. Fischer reportedly was in Los Angeles, but nothing was forthcoming about his actions. The first hint that something might be wrong was contained in a brief report in The New York Times a few days before the match was to start. Fischer had canceled his flight to Reykjavik.

Paul Marshall, a lawyer who had been acting in Fisher's behalf, said some details of the match had yet to be worked out, but that Fischer would arrive in time for play to begin. Later it was learned that Fischer was negotiating through his lawyer, Andrew Davis, in Iceland for 30 per cent of the gate receipts in addition to a share in the $125,000 purse and television rights already granted the players. The Icelandic Chess Federation stood fast in refusing" to meet the American's demand. Reportedly from seclusion somewhere in New York, Fischer, through Davis, sought a two-day postponement. Over protests from the Soviet Chess Federation the postponement was granted and the start ol the match reschedule! for July 4.

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