The Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Tuesday, February 18, 1975 - Page 25
Fischer Wins The Site Issue
Amsterdam — The International Chess Federation said Monday that it has accepted Manila's $5 million offer to stage a world championship match between Bobby Fischer and Russian challenger Anatoly Karpov starting June 1. The Russians immediately objected, but unofficially.
Manila was Fischer's choice. Karpov wanted to play in Milan, which offered $440,000 in prize money, saying Manila was too hot. Because of the disagreement, the chess federation, known by its French initials of FIDE, had to decide.
Nikolai Ryndin, cultural attache of the Soviet embassy in Holland, told newsmen the Soviet Chess Federation rejected the FIDE decision “for technical reasons.”
A FIDE spokesman said the Russians objected because they said a telegram to FIDE this month stating Fischer's preference for Manila had not been signed by the world champion from Brooklyn.
Ryndin also took a poke at the $5 million Philippine purse, saying “we consider chess first a sport, and not as business.”
He said however, that his statement did not constitute an official protest, and that Soviet Chess Federation officials in Moscow will decide on further steps.
When and by whom's discretion, was the tradition changed?
The Times Munster, Indiana Sunday, July 02, 1972:
“…THE WORLD champion has the right to pick the site of the championships,” says Fischer.
“Spassky wasn't even there when the international governing body chose the site. A Russian delegation was there and they picked the site.”
