ASt. Louis Post-Dispatch St. Louis, Missouri Friday, August 07, 1992 - Page 4
Fischer, Spassky Ready For Rematch
Belgrade, Yugoslavia (AP) — Boris Spassky, the Russian chess grandmaster, has arrived in Yugoslavia for a $5 million match with American Bobby Fischer, who has come out of seclusion, organizers said Thursday.
The two former world champions met late Wednesday after Spassky's arrival for an informal dinner.
Fischer beat Spassky in 1972 to take the world title but later forfeited the title by refusing to defend it. He has not played in public since.
The rematch has been organized by Jezdimir Vasiljevic, the owner of one of Yugoslavia's largest private banks. He has offered $3.35 million to the winner and $1.65 million to the loser.
The nine-game Fischer-Spassky match is scheduled to start Sept. 2 in Sveti Stefan, a resort on the Montenegrin Adriatic coast. The players will later move to Belgrade, the Yugoslav and Serbian capital.
Montenegro and Serbia are the only two remaining republics in Yugoslavia. The U.N. Security Council imposed strict sanctions on Yugoslavia to punish the Serb-dominated federation for fomenting war in neighboring Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The United States has strictly observed the sanctions, which bar commercial and sports links with Yugoslavia. Fischer is an American citizen, and he might be violating the sanctions by playing the match. Fischer refused to speak to reporters after his arrival in Yugoslavia.
Belgrade media said that Fischer has been training for the match by analyzing chess games, weight lifting, swimming and jogging. They said that both Spassky and Fischer appear physically fit and in good moods.
Fischer, Spassky Ready For Rematch 07 Aug 1992, Fri St. Louis Post-Dispatch (St. Louis, Missouri) Newspapers.com
