New York Times, New York, New York, Thursday, August 17, 1961
Fischer Facing Damage Suit If He Fails to Resume Chess
18-Year-Old U.S. Champion Is Warned by Foundation to Play Here Today and Continue Series With Reshevsky
By Deane McGowen
Bobby Fischer, the 18-year-old chess champion of the United States, faces a suit for damages if he fails to continue his sixteen-game series with Samuel Reshevsky, the American Chess Foundation warned yesterday.
Last night there was doubt whether Fischer would resume the competition, as scheduled, at 5 P.M. today at the Empire Hotel, Sixty-third Street and Broadway.
The series is for a purse of about $8,000, with the victor getting 65 per cent and the loser 35.
The 49-year-old Reshevsky, a grandmaster, leads Fischer, 6½-5½, for the George P. Edgar Trophy. The series began in New York on July 16, then shifted to Los Angeles after four games.
Fischer, also a grandmaster, forfeited the twelfth game last Sunday morning in Los Angeles, then failed to appear to resume the match in the Empire Hotel last Tuesday night.
Yesterday Walter J. Fried, the president of the chess foundation, sent the following telegram to Fischer at his Brooklyn home:
“We expect your attendance Thursday afternoon, Aug. 17, 5 P.M., at the Empire Hotel to proceed with the thirteenth game of the Fischer-Reshevsky match as well as subsequent games as scheduled.
“Your challenge of twelfth game forfeiture is being reserved by undersigned whose decision will be made before conclusion of match and is to be binding as per your agreement.
“Your failure to appear and participate in balance of scheduled games will subject you to loss of match and to damage suit for noncompliance with terms of contract.”
The twelfth game was declared forfeited by Irving Rivise, the Los Angeles referee, when Fischer failed to appear for the scheduled 11 A.M. start. Fischer said the game should have been played the preceding evening.
CORRECTION: The schedule was changed twice.
- Changed from Saturday night to Sunday at 1:30 P.M. to which Bobby Fischer consented.
- Changed from 1:30 P.M. Sunday to 11 A.M. Sunday, by Referee Irving Rivise, to accommodate his own trip to San Francisco for the U.S. Open which opened the following day, Monday.
Young Fischer protested that the schedule should be returned to the originally scheduled time of 1:30 P.M. This clarification is documented in the August 14, 1961 Los Angeles Times “Chess Champ Forfeits By Failing to Appear”
The situation arose ten days ago when officials re-scheduled the twelfth game from Saturday to Sunday. Reshevsky, an orthodox Jew, does not play on the Jewish Sabbath.
“I'm not used to playing at 11—it's ridiculous,” Fischer protested. “Why should I accommodate him? Maybe he hoped I'd be tired and he'd get a draw.”
When Fischer arrived here on Tuesday, he called Morris J. Kasper, the treasurer of the A.C.F., and said he would not resume the match unless the forfeit was disallowed by the New York officials.
Reshevsky, at his home in Spring Valley, N.Y. said:
“The agreement to play last Sunday morning was understood by both of us and it was made before our series began in Los Angeles. I did not request the shift from Saturday night to Sunday morning, as stated in yesterday's Times. The committee did it according to the prior agreement.
“I abide by the rules of the committee. I am willing to continue the series.”
Fischer's comment on the Fried telegram follows:
“All right, I'll take it into court, too. I'm willing to begin play again with the twelfth game, but I won't resume the match at the thirteenth.
“They're just trying to trap me into continuing the match. They've had all the facts for four days. They could have reached a decision by now on the forfeit.”
