ACourier-Post Camden, New Jersey Thursday, July 13, 1972 - Page 5
Analysis by Expert: Fischer's Attention to Distractions Seen as Advantage for Spassky by Dr. Leroy Dubeck, President, U.S. Chess Federation
It is apparent that Bobby Fischer blundered on his 29th move and the loss of his bishop for two pawns led eventually to the loss of the game.
Yesterday, Fischer apparently was upset by the position of a TV camera. ([Not so much as the man, operating it, and making a commotion that was visible.]) In the past, Fischer has been much more sensitive to playing conditions than most grandmasters. ([Autism Spectrum has that effect on people born that way.])
World champion Spassky, on the other hand, is not concerned about some of these details. For example he stated that he would allow Fischer to select the chess set and chess board to be used in this match ([although the Soviet delegates and Icelandic organizers had plenty to say and demand, and very little of the arrangements were actually to Fischer's specs]), stating that he would rather go fishing than haggle over which chess set was used.
It does not surprise me that Spassky has taken the lead early in this match. I believe that he is better prepared than Fischer in the chess openings and will probably be springing a few surprises on the American grandmaster.
If either of these players can gain an advantage in the early moves due to a prepared innovation, his opponent will be hard pressed to survive.
Spassky has had the services of many Soviet grandmasters during the past months in preparing for his title defense. These Soviet chess professionals are all supported by the state and I am certain have been ordered to make an all-out effort to find flaws in the chess openings that Fischer has used in the past.
Fischer, on the other hand, has prepared for this match essentially alone. He has not sought the assistance of other American grandmasters in preparing opening traps for Spassky.
If Fischer does not fall too far behind Spassky in the early part of the match when the Russian world champion is using up all of his prepared analysis, I predict that the American challenger will pull even in the middle part of the match and crush Spassky in the latter third of the 24-game encounter.
I am pleased to inform the chess buffs that Channel 12 will carry a half-hour television program on the World Championship matches at 6:30 p.m. each Sunday.
Yesterday's first game lasted 56 moves. The first 40 moves appeared in the Courier-Post yesterday. The adjourned game was completed yesterday.
Analysis by Expert: Fischer's Attention to Distractions Seen as Advantage for Spassky 13 Jul 1972, Thu Courier-Post (Camden, New Jersey) Newspapers.com
