Daily News New York, New York Wednesday, July 12, 1972 - Page 321
Boris Grasps Edge; Bobby Calls Recess by Robert Byrne
Reykjavik, Iceland, July 11—Bobby Fischer is in trouble.
The brilliant 29-year-old challenger for Boris Spassky's world chess crown adjourned tonight the first game of the 24-game title match with the Russian holding the advantage of a bishop for two pawns. A stiff uphill battle faces Fischer when the game is resumed tomorrow at 5 p.m. (1 p.m. New York time) in the Laugardalshoell, Reykjavik's sports exhibition palace.
The first game of history's richest world chess title match was called after 40 moves and 3 hours and 34 minutes of play.
Neat, logical opening play had enabled Bobby to sidestep all problems with the black pieces when he suddenly ventured the risky capture of Spassky's king rook pawn at the fateful 29th move. All he would have needed for a sure draw was routine play.
And the 2,000 spectators who had applauded his appearance on the stage just a few hours before were expecting that.
Spassky Plays It Cool
But allowing his bishop to be trapped in the crude manner following 30. P-N3 was a shocker. Maybe he had counted too optimistically on 33. … P-R6, spotting, when it was beyond recall, that 34. K-N4 B-8.
35. KxP BxP, 36. B-Q2 would still deny the bishop any way of getting out of the net.
Earlier, Spassky adopted cautious tactics in choosing the secure but lackluster retreat, 9. N-K2. If he had hoped to give Fischer any problems in development after the queens were exchanged, the American's 14th move discouraged the whole idea. The attempt to win a piece by 15. BxN BxB; 16. RxB would have rebounded after … BxR, winning the exchange for Fischer.
The Rift Widens
With so much money hanging on the outcome of the match, every point won or lost opens a chasm between the two opponents. Spassky only needs 12 points to keep his title, while Fischer must take 12½ to capture the championship.
He and his second, the Rev. William Lombardy, have a grueling night's work ahead of them, if they are to come up with the miracle needed to stop Boris from jumping off to a one-point lead in the chess match of the century.
Father Lombardy, a Franciscan Catholic, said when the game was adjourned: “It's a difficult position to analyze.
“Since I'll have to analyze it for Bobby before the adjourned match resumes tomorrow … I probably shouldn't say more.”
Before the players separated tonight, Spassky wrote his 41st move on a sheet of paper, sealed it in an envelope and gave it to Schmid, the referee from West Germany.
Schmid will open the envelope tomorrow afternoon and make Spassky's first move for him.
All-Night Planning
The purpose of the sealed move is to avoid giving either player an advantage in all-night planning tonight for resumption of the game tomorrow. Spassky known his own 41st move, true; but he doesn't know Fischer's answer. Fischer, of course, is in the dark as to Spassky's 41st move.
During today's game, a large neon sign blinked on occasionally to admonish “silence.” It's purpose was to hush a low murmur in the vast auditorium.
Spectators sat in near darkness, most of them too far away to make out what was happening onstage. But above and in front of the stage, a screen 30 feet across displayed the positions on the board.
In the corridors outside, the silence gave way to animated discussion as people lined up for coffee and sandwiches before a lunch counter.
Fans Replay Game
At tables, chess fans replayed the moves on miniature chess boards, speaking to each other in a dozen languages.
Boris Grasps Edge; Bobby Calls Recess 12 Jul 1972, Wed Daily News (New York, New York) Newspapers.com
Boris Grasps Edge; Bobby Calls Recess 12 Jul 1972, Wed Daily News (New York, New York) Newspapers.com
