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Chess by Isaac Kashdan Sun, Apr 2, 1972 – 116 · The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) · Newspapers.com
Fischer, Spassky Dates, Referee Set
Final details for the coming world championship match between titleholder Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union and his American challenger Bobby Fischer were apparently worked out at a meeting in Amsterdam.
The opening game of the match will be in Belgrade on Thursday, June 22. The schedule calls for 12 games to be completed there, at the rate of three each week, on Thursdays, Sundays and Tuesdays.
The remainder of the match, which may go to a maximum of 24 games, will be in Reykjavik, Iceland, starting there on Sunday, Aug. 6.
The long interval is to allow for possible delays in Belgrade. Each player is allowed three postponements in the case of injury or illness attested by a physician.
The length of the Iceland portion cannot he determined in advance. The match will be won by the player who first scores 12½ points. Should the result be a tie at 12 points, then Spassky will retain the championship.
The total purse, by far the largest for any chess event in history, is $138,500. It will be divided 62½% to the winner and 37½% to the loser.
Another possible cause of controversy was resolved when Lothar Schmidt of West Germany was approved as the match referee. Schmidt had the same role in the encounter in Argentina last year between Fischer and former world champion Tigran Petrosian of the Soviet Union.
With everything set, Fischer injected another problem last week when he sent telegrams to the sponsors in both countries, requesting that if either should have a profit after all costs are paid, the amount should be given to the players.
Both groups replied that they would make no changes in the financial arrangements which had already been agreed to, and that since they were taking considerable risks, they were entitled to any profit that might ensue.
