The Province Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Friday, May 14, 1971 - Page 31
Checkmate for Giants of Chess by Paul Raugust
Two days of bitter wrangling over the site for the world chess quarter-final match between Robert Fischer of the United States and the Soviet Union's Mark Taimanov was halted Thursday night when the World Chess Federation ordered the two grandmasters to use facilities at the University of B.C.'s Student Union Building.
The 10-round match, rescheduled to begin Sunday afternoon, was to have opened at UBC's Graduate Centre Thursday afternoon, but objections to those facilities from both sides started a frantic search for another site Wednesday afternoon.
Taimanov insisted that tradition be observed and spectators be allowed to attend the match. Fischer had demanded that spectators be excluded, claiming they interfere with his game.
Various alternatives were explored Thursday, including facilities at International House and the Angus Building, both on the UBC campus, but none would satisfy both sides.
Dr. Max Euwe of Holland, a former world champion and now head of the international body, put an end to the dispute Thursday evening by ordering the match to be held in the Student Union Building.
In effect it was a major concession to the Soviet grandmaster as spectators will now be allowed to attend the proceedings.
However, Dr. Euwe has asked that the lighting be changed to meet Fischer's demand for indirect lighting in time to allow the match to start Sunday.
The match is scheduled for 10 rounds, but will end whenever a player reaches 5½ points. A victory counts one point and a draw ½. Rounds are to be played Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, starting at 4 p.m. daily. Each player must make 40 moves in 2½ hours or else forfeit the round.
Dr. Euwe will preside at the traditional tossing of the coin to decide who plays white in the first round. He plans to return to Holland later today.
