AThe Charlotte Observer Charlotte, North Carolina Wednesday, July 12, 1972 - Page 1
Chess Match Is Adjourned With Spassky In The Lead
Reykjavik, Iceland — The first game of the world chess championship adjourned Tuesday night with defending champion Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union holding a formidable lead over challenger Bobby Fischer of the United States.
After 4½ hours and 40 moves, Spassky held the only chance for victory in the first of the 24 games. The most Fischer can reasonably hope for is a draw when the game is completed today at 1 p.m. EDT.
Fischer arrived at the match eight minutes after it started ([due to delay in traffic, that Icelandic police failed their obligations to offer escort under “police protection”]). After numerous exchanges, Spassky trapped Fischer's bishop and captured it on his 35th move.
Before the players separated, Spassky wrote his 41st move on a sheet of paper and gave it to referee Lothar Schmid of West German. Schmid will open the envelop and make Spassky's first move for him this afternoon.
Spassky and Fischer played briskly in the opening moves and traded queens in the 11th and 12th moves.
The pair traded pawns in the 9th and 10th moves and played even through the 20th move with neither holding a piece advantage.
Each player must complete 40 moves within 2½ hours after the game begins.
Spassky, playing white, opened the match with a queen's gambit. Fischer responded with a Nimzo-Indian defense, and no advantage was apparent for some time. Many experts predicted a draw.
The players traded several pieces, including queens, within the first 20 moves. Fischer checked Spassky on the 19th move, but the Russian escaped.
The match, being played for a $250,000 purse as well as the world title, already has been delayed twice from its originally scheduled starting date of July 2. The winner will receive $150,00, the loser $100,000.
Caption: Chess Battlers Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer Meet…Sketch Depicts World Championship Match.
