AThe Morning Call Allentown, Pennsylvania Monday, July 17, 1972 - Page 2
Active Queens a Factor - Extra Pawn May Spell Difference
Following is an analysis of the third Fischer-Spassky chess match written for the Associated Press by Isaac Kashdan, an international chess grandmaster.
By Isaac Kashdan, Los Angeles (AP) — Bobby Fischer has excellent winning chances in the adjourned third game of his chess match with Russia's Boris Spassky for the world championship.
Though his one-pawn vantage would seem slight to the average player, it is generally ample in a contest between grand masters.
An important factor is the presence of bishops of opposite color, which tend to create drawing positions, especially in the absence of major pieces.
If the queens were removed, Spassky would have little difficulty in drawing the game. His king would move to a central square and Fischer's extra pawn could never advance.
It is a different matter with active queens for each player. In the adjourned position, Fischer has many mating threats because Spassky's king is exposed.
In the opening, Fischer played the Benoni Defense, differing from the method he used in the first game.
The Benoni leads to a rather backward position, but it maintains tension and avoids early exchanges in pieces.
Fischer only occasionally uses this opening, and when he does it is against players who may be trying to equalize early.
He probably felt that Spassky, now two points ahead, would be content to run off a series of draws. In the first game, Fischer allowed exchanges readily. Not this time.
The first challenge came on Fischer's 11th move, apparently a novelty allowing Spassky to weaken the black pawns by capturing a knight with a bishop.
Several moves later, another exchange brought Fischer's pawns back to their normal lines. As a result, Fischer had gained the very slight advantage of bishop for knight.
A pawn maneuver on the queen side also turned out favorably for Fischer. He established a passed pawn, which wasn't an immediate threat but which would need watching later. A passed pawn is in position to reach the opposite end of the board without opposition and become a queen.
Perhaps the weakest move for Spassky was his 18th, which fixed his kingside pawns in a strictly defensive formation.
With his 22nd move, Fischer started an attack on Spassky's king pawn, now exposed and vulnerable. Spassky had little to do but wait. On the 32nd move, the pawn fell.
From that point to the adjourned position, Fischer improved his prospects considerably. Note that Fischer made certain not to exchange queens.
After the 41st move, sealed by Fischer, it was apparent that Spassky's king was in grave danger and that Fischer would possibly win a second pawn while retaining his mating threats.
