Agreement on chess rematch

Press, 27 January 1986, Page 3

Agreement on chess rematch

NZPA-AP Moscow The world chess champion, Gary Kasparov, and the former champion, Anatoly Karpov, have agreed to postpone their rematch until July or August and want the next world championship delayed until 1987, the Soviet Chess Federation announced yesterday. In a statement published by the official Tass news agency, the federation said it was applying

to the World Chess Federation (F.1.D.E.), with their requests.

F.I.D.E. rules set up during last spring’s second championship battle between Kasparov and Karpov stipulated that Karpov had the right to a rematch within six months if he lost his title, and the games were then scheduled for February. Kasparov took the crown away from Karpov on November 9 and then expressed opposition to

the February schedule, saying it was too soon after the exhausting series of games.

The Soviet Chess Federation said the two men now agreed on the July or August date because both chess players must rest and recover strength after playing 72 games with each other in 14 months. It said that both had also agreed to play in Leningrad unless another city came forward to host the match by April 1.

They asked that the venue, date of the match and jury be fixed by May 1, the announcement said.

It noted that the proposed postponement of the rematch meant the two rivals wanted the world championship pushed back. They requested that the winner of the present round of challengers’ playoffs meet the loser of the Kasparov-Karpov match in February 1987, according to the report. It

said the two suggested that the winner of that match would then challenge the world champion in July or August, 1987. The challengers — three Soviets and Dutch grandmaster, Jan Timman — are at present playing semi-final matches. F.I.D.E. announced at its headquarters in Lucerne, Switzerland, on Friday, that a decision on the Kasparov-Karpov rematch would be delayed until January 29.