The Leaf-Chronicle Clarksville, Tennessee Thursday, July 06, 1972 - Page 8
Around the Circuit with Gene Washer, Sports Editor
Bobby Fischer has made a strategic move similar to castling and the world chess championship hasn't even begun yet.
In addition to make a full and penitent apology to Boris Spassky today, Fischer's entire moves for the past month have brought more attention to the world chess championship than Red China did to ping pong.
Heretofore a game played by stiff-lips in an air of dignity akin to the atmosphere of a funeral parlor, Fischer has run up a flag with dollar signs on it.
In his apology, he repented for his “disrespectful behavior” saying “I simply became carried away by my petty dispute over money with the Icelandic chess organizers.”
If the drawing goes without incident tonight, Fischer and Spassky will it at the chess table Sunday night for their first game in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Chess is a grand old game dating back to the early days of India when, as the legend goes, a couple of old tiring Maharajahs thought of the game as a way to settle their differences. It was better than carving each other up with knives.
The name was derived from the Persian world “shah” and it is a descendant of the game Chaturanga, which is referred to during the Middle Persian Karnamak (c. 590-628).
The game went to Britain in about 1255. The Federation Internationale des Echecs was established in 1924.
In Russia alone there is reputed to be five million active players—which is why they are so important on the international chess scene.
World champions weren't recognized until 1843 but some of the Babe Ruths and Mickey Mantles of the game include Francois Andre Danican, alias Philidor, of France, who claimed the world championship from 1747 to 1795.
William Steinitz held the title but was beaten out by Dr. Emanuel Lasker of Germany,with a record of 26 to 8, with 12 draws.
Paul Charles Morphy of New Orleans was the youngest world champion, winning the title in 1958 at age 21.
Yes, women, there are a few gals who won the Women's World Chess Champion title. Russia's Elisaveta Bykova won in 1953, 1958 and 1960.
The team championship, of course, has been won by Russia 11 times since 1952.
And here is one last little interesting fact about the game.
The most protracted chess game on record was one drawn on the 191st move between H. Pilnik (Argentina) and Moshe Czerniak (Israel) at Mar del Plata, Argentina in April 1950.
They played 20 hours. There was a game of 21:30, but drawn on the 171st move (averaged 7½ minutes per move). And there was a 221 move game in 1969, but it took only 4:25 to play.
Around the Circuit with Gene Washer, Sports Editor 06 Jul 1972, Thu The Leaf-Chronicle (Clarksville, Tennessee) Newspapers.com
Around the Circuit with Gene Washer, Sports Editor 06 Jul 1972, Thu The Leaf-Chronicle (Clarksville, Tennessee) Newspapers.com
