TEMPERAMENT IN TUNISIA Fischer Yields Claim To Chess Title

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31540, 30 November 1967, Page 13

TEMPERAMENT IN TUNISIA Fischer Yields Claim To Chess Title

Under the heading, “Drama in Tunisia,” H. Golombek, the British international chess master and writer, gives details in “The Times” of the sensational withdrawal of the young American grand master, R. J. Fischer, from the interzonal qualifying tournament to select a challenger for the world championship.

Fischer was leading in the tournament at Sousse and in such “blazing form,” according to Golombek, that no-one seemed likely to stop him from heading the qualifiers.

His withdrawal means that Fischer will not have another opportunity to bid for the world championship for three years. He ignored the last qualifying tournament three years ago because of his dissatisfaction with the system devised by the International Chess Federation; and his participation this year was in doubt until almost the eleventh hour. Russian Collusion The federation had, indeed, modified the form of elimination contests to meet Fischer’s objections that the system offered too much opportunity for collusion among the powerful Russian contenders. Special arrangements were also made for the interzonal tournament in Tunisia to accommodate the objections of Fischer, a Seventh Day Adventist, and of his countryman, S. Reshevsky, an orthodox Jew, to playing on the Sabbath. The dispensation, however, meant that Fischer and Reshevsky had sometimes to play on four successive days. For the tenth round Fischer asked for a new arrangement and for the postponement of his next game. When the tournament organisers refused he departed for Tunis. Left In Suspense Strenuous efforts were made, by the American Ambassador and the president of the Tunisian Chess Association among others, to persuade Fischer to change his mind. “With a sense of drama and

a temperament that reminded one onlooker of Maria Callas, Fischer, due to play his compatriot, Reshevsky, in the eleventh round, left matters in suspense till just five minutes before he would have lost by default, then put in an appearance and annihilated his adversary,” wrote Golombek. But Fischer continued to argue about the game he had been required to default (against A. Gipslis, of Russia), withdrew once more, and defaulted to V. Hort, of Czechoslovakia. Next day he said he was prepared to return providing his game against B. Larsen (Denmark), the eventual winner of the tournament, was postponed. But it was

then too late; he lost by default for a third time and was excluded from the tournament. Interest Lessened “The bitter sadness of all this is that throughout the affair Fischer believed he was always in the right,” Golombek concluded. Fischer’s withdrawal, or disqualification, robs the next stage of the qualifying series —the “candidates’ round,” to be played next year—of much of its interest Fischer is regarded by many as the best player in the world today; certainly he seems the most likely player outside Russia to end the Russian domination of the championship which has been absolute since 1947.