The Boston Globe Boston, Massachusetts Sunday, July 02, 1972 - Page 65
Fischer vs. Spassky: Chess Masters Hold Their Breath by Harold Dondis, Globe Chess Columnist
Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer will be sitting down today (at least this was the plan as of yesterday) at the Sports Palace at Reykjavik, Iceland, before a breathless audience of Grandmasters, chess votaries and amateurs. The atmosphere will be as highly charged as any chess encounter in history because Bobby Fischer is an unparalleled phenomenon and Boris Spassky is an extraordinarily gifted player of immense scope.
Fischer must be favored despite three losses and two draws against Spassky and although Grandmasters know the games of Fischer and Spassky in microscopic detail, it is probably on the basis of past performance that they and the whole world must predict the result. One can recognize a single move as brilliant, but chess performance is like a chain which must have healthy links every step of the way.
By this test, Fischer will be the victor by a four or five point majority. This is the prediction of Arpad Elo, the rating expert. Fischer has an early triumphant first in the qualifying round—perfect scores against Taimanov and Larsen and an overwhelming win against Petrosian. Spassky's performances in Canada and Moscow were mediocre. His win of the title was by a slight margin over Petrosian. The question is whether Spassky with his indirect, complex style, with his waiting game, his penchant for the obscure, can by some vital force overcome the straight-forward, no-nonsense attacking game of Bobby Fischer. Now we must see.
Fischer vs. Spassky: Chess Masters Hold Their Breath 02 Jul 1972, Sun The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts) Newspapers.com
