AThe Charlotte News Charlotte, North Carolina Saturday, April 08, 1972 - Page 1
Q. Has An American Ever Won an International Chess Match?
A. Yes. In 1858, when the international matches were in their infancy, Paul Morphy of New Orleans defeated all his opponents here and abroad. He held the title four years. Russians have held the world championship since World War II, but an American, Brooklyn-bred Bobby Fischer, has a good chance of beating the reigning champion Boris Spassky in the 24-game match scheduled to begin June 22 in Belgrade. The first recorded international tournament was between Italian and Spanish players in 1566, but chess itself dates back to antiquity. India generally is credited with creating chaturanga, or “four arms,” the game that evolved into today's chess. Persian armies later took the game home with them and later, in the seventh century, Moslem conquerors carried the idea to Spain. Rule changes through the ages often reflected the culture of an era. During the Middle Ages, for example, there was a squabble because of a new rule that allowed a pawn to be promoted to queen. That promotion, allowed the purists, could make the king a bigamist!
Has An American Ever Won an International Chess Match? Sat, Apr 8, 1972 – 1 · The Charlotte News (Charlotte, North Carolina) · Newspapers.com
