Chess issue not settled

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32972, 19 July 1972, Page 1

Chess issue not settled

(N. Z. P. A. -R eut e r—Copy rig ht)

REYKJAVIK, July 18. The only shadow still being cast on what promises to live up to its advance billing as the chess match of the century is the as yet unsettled issue of television coverage of the event.

The organisers are now taking one game at a time and will meet all the parties concerned later today to decide how to handle the fourth encounter.

The American, R. K. Fischer, has protested against moving play back to the giant auditorium from the private room in the hall where the third game started, while the Russian world champion, B. Spassky, has requested that play continue on the stage.

The question now appears to be whether Mr Chester Fox, an American who is promoting the visual coverage of the match, is prepared to move his cameras away from the stage—or even out of the hall completely—or whether Fischer will decide to accept them backstage after some technical changes are made. The ultimate decision rests with the West German grand master, L. Schmid, the chief tournament arbiter, who told reporters that as far as he was concerned play would continue in the auditorium —with or without Fischer. The American’s win yesterday was his’ first against Spassky in seven meetings and it was thought it could have given him a psychological boost. American favoured Fischer, fresh from his first victory over the world champion, was favoured to even their 24-game title series at two points each when the fourth game begins tonight. Fischer, trailing 1-2, will have the advantage of making the opening move in the white pieces for the • first time. Fischer missed white in the second game when he failed to arrive to play. In winning the third game, the challenger gave the chess-mad Icelanders a sample of his attacking brilliance and his eye for the original moves. The game was adjourned on Sunday with Spassky in such a hopeless position that he resigned last night immediately after seeing Fisher’s 41st move. Fischer himself did not see it. Having placed it in a sealed envelope the night before—as is the rule for an adjourned game—and with plenty of time on his clock, he was driving to the hall 15 minutes late when the end came. Fisher’s move was: 41—B-Q6 check, white resigns. Fischer has a record of being tough to stop once he is on a winning streak and there are few experts in Reykjavik who would rate Spassky’s chances high of re-

taining his title if the American were to win the next game.