AFort Worth Star-Telegram Fort Worth, Texas Friday, July 07, 1972 - Page 9
Chess Match to Finally Get Going
Reykjavik (Reuter) — Russian title holder Boris Spassky and his American challenger Bobby Fischer, having ended their battle of nerves, now begin the task of disciplining their minds in preparation for next week's opening game in the world chess championship.
The two players, men of contrasting personalities, have five days in which to achieve the mental equilibrium essential in top flight chess.
Spassky drew white last night and will have the advantage of the first move.
Fischer wanted to begin the disrupted match on Sunday but finally agreed to Spassky's request for two extra days, which means the contest will get under way on Tuesday — nine days behind schedule.
THE AMERICAN rounded off his cold war of nerves with the usually imperturbable Russian by keeping him waiting for over half an hour at the hall last night when the draw was staged.
But Spassky, who is familiar with Fischer's tactic now, seemed to have found the antidote. He took the lateness in stride, greeting Fischer in a friendly way when he finally turned up and wishing him good luck after the draw was made.
Chess experts here believe the 35-year-old Spassky is the one to have suffered most from the delay in the start of the 24-game series, caused largely by Fischer's habit of turning up late or not at all for the initial tournament functions—the opening game in particular.
APART FROM the fact that Spassky has already spent 3½ weeks on the island, the world champion has had to watch a challenger acting as though the roles were already reversed, nor can Fischer's supreme confidence in his ability to capture the title have escaped the Russian.
Fischer, the man whose life is devoted to chess and who has pledged to end the long Soviet domination of the game, has declared he will crush his opponent by 12½ points to clinch the title. A point is awarded for a win and half a point for a draw.
This smacks of Fischer-style psychological warfare, but even if the score is less dramatic—the American has lost to Spassky in five meetings—the consensus of opinion here is that the 29-year-old New Yorker will clinch the world crown by the end of next month.
In last year's qualifying round, he humbled Russian Tigran Petrosian, a former world champion, with a dazzling display of aggression. And there is no reason to suppose that his standard of play has deteriorated in the interim.
BEFORE THE players actually face off across the chess board for the first game, there are a number of details to be finally settled.
These include the question of whether the two players will accept the facilities. Fischer has already complained about the board and the overhead lighting—which came as no surprise to those who have followed his career.
The 3,000-seat hall of play is a dome-like construction with a spartan interior normally used for basketball, concerts and exhibitions.
