The Pantagraph Bloomington, Illinois Friday, July 21, 1972 - Page 7
Boris Evens Score
Reykjavik, Iceland (AP)—World chess champion Boris Spassky resigned Thursday night in his fifth championship game with American challenger Bobby Fischer, evening the match score at 2½ points each.
Spassky's resignation after 27 moves and 3½ hours of play stunned the spectators. He had been judged in a slightly weaker but not impossible position.
Spassky learned forward and stopped the clock, signifying the resignation. The spectators jumped to their feet and some shouted: “Bravo, Bobby.”
For the second time in the match, Spassky had been reduced to passivity.
With his 23rd move, Fischer invited the removal of all four rooks from the board, though there seemed to be more promising ideas in either transferring his king to his Q3 square or advancing his king's rook pawn.
Spassky's problems seemed to have eased, but his 27th move—Q-B1—was a blunder. Fischer's reply came with a crash. It was an unexpected sacrifice—BxRP—causing Spassky's position to collapse.
The two players rose and walked out of the hall together. Spassky appeared tired and strained, but Fischer retained his cool and appeared unmoved by his victory.
Frank Skoff, vice-president of the U.S. Chess Federation, remarked: “It was just what we expected. The general opinion of the American camp is that Fischer will win—even with the forfeit.”
Fischer lost the opening game, then forfeited the second when he failed to show in protest against filming of the 24-game title match. He came back in the third game for his first victory ever over Spassky, making the score 2-1.
The fourth game Tuesday was a draw, giving each contender half a point and making the score going into Thursday's game 2½ for Spassky and 1½ for Fischer.
The Russian chess champion, playing the white pieces, began with his favorite queen pawn opening. Fischer moved his knight to king's bishop three, developing a Nimzo-Indian defense. He played that strategy in the first game, which he lost.
Spassky sat hunched in concentration over the board, running his fingers through his hair.
Fischer seldom left the podium. He appeared confident. Slowly Spassky's position weakened until the final series of moves sealed his fate.
