The Vancouver Sun Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Wednesday, September 01, 1971 - Page 6
Chess Match Site Draws Soviet 'nyet'
Once again a Russian “nyet” is echoing about the University of B.C.
And, as it did here last spring, it involves U.S. grandmaster Bobby Fischer and a game of chess.
Then, the dispute was over the playing conditions at UBC for the challengers' round match between Fischer and Soviet grandmaster Mark Taimanov. The Russians vetoed the Graduate Centre site chosen for the match and won their point when the games were switched to the Student Union Building.
This time, there is a more difficult problem: the choice of a city for the final challengers' round match between Fischer and Soviet grandmaster Tigran Petrosian.
Soviet negotiator Boris Rodionov is here for the World Ches Federation (FIDE) Congress at UBC's Cecil Green Park, as is Ed Edmondson, U.S. negotiator and executive director of the U.S. Chess Federation.
They are sandwiching their deliberations between official business at the Congress.
The position is this:
Four invitation has been received as the site of the match, from Skopje and Umag, Yugoslavia; Buenos Aires and Athens. The Russians have summarily rejected Skopje, Umag and Buenos Aires and have opted for Athens.
Edmondson leans toward the South American site, but is willing to compromise.
“We'll play in Athens if the Russians agree to a city in the America's for the world championship match — providing Bobby beats Petrosian,” Edmondson said Tuesday night.
“Or, if we play this match in Buenos Aires, we'll agree to play the world championship in Athens. It seems a reasonable compromise, but the Russians have turned it down.”
Winner of the Fischer-Petrosian match will meet world champion Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union in a 24-game match for the title next spring.
Edmondson said the decision could hinge on a coin flip by FIDE president, Dr. Max Euwe of The Netherlands, should the Russians not budge from their position.
He ruled out Vancouver as a compromise site.
The Fischer-Petrosian match is scheduled to start Sept. 22.
