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Chess Sun, Apr 9, 1972 – Page 41 · Sunday Gazette-Mail (Charleston, West Virginia) · Newspapers.comChess by Edward M. Foy
Well, fellow chess players, the Fischer-Spassky world championship match is on—again. Just when arrangements seemed settled for these two grandmasters to play 12 games in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, and the remaining 12 contests in Reykjavik, Iceland, Fischer balked. A March 26th news release stated that Bobby would not play the second-half of the match in Iceland. He wanted more money. But the organizers stood firm and Fischer capitulated. So, the 24-game match is to begin June 22 in Belgrade and finish in Reykjavik.
Owing, no doubt to the great deal of effort expended by the U.S. Chess Federation over Robert J. Fischer, there has been no U.S. Championship Tournament for the past couple of years. However, one is scheduled to begin in New York City April 23 and to continue through May 14. Invitations were sent to the 20 highest rated players and the top ones accepted by April 5 were to compete for the national title. Incidentally, unless it is misprint, the highest ranking player after Fischer is the Australian-American grandmaster, Walter Browne (2592). But Fischer's 2834 is well ahead of Browne.