AThe Guardian London, Greater London, England Wednesday, July 12, 1972 - Page 1
Fischer's Opening Gambit
Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer finally made it to the world championship chessboard tonight and there was an almost palpable sense of relief throughout the auditorium at the sports stadium here that chess had at last taken over from the ballyhoo.
Yet Fischer was late ([due to characteristic failure of the promised police protection “traffic escort” which resulted in Fischer being seven minutes late to the match]). Promptly at 5 p.m. Spassky walked on to the stage accompanied by the West German referee, Herr Lothar Schmid, who had raced back to Iceland from his son's car crash in West Germany.
Spassky immediately played his opening pawn to Queen four and the match was under way. Spassky sat for a while and then walked around the board. Five minutes later he and Herr Schmid had left the stage and it was bare. At 5:10 pm Spassky returned followed by Fischer. ([As described by another reporter, “Applause which greeted Fischer's arrival arose in crescendo when Spassky moved forward from the side of the stage where he had been waiting to shake Fischer's hand.”])
Fischer responded with his knight to king's bishop three — the Nimzo-Indian defence — and within five more minutes there were eight moves and the battle was well and truly under way.
In the event the game was adjourned ritually at the fortieth move when Spassky put his next move into a sealed envelope for the resumption tomorrow afternoon.
It was a fascinating evening with both players apparently aiming at an honourable draw until Fischer traded his remaining bishop for two pawns and the game took on a new dimension with a rapid removal of the principal pieces.
The theatre took on the atmosphere of an intensive care ward in hospital as the spectators tiptoed in and out and talked in whispers.
Facing the audience, a great illuminated sign occasionally flashed the command, “thogn,” which even in Icelandic unmistakably meant silence.
Outside the auditorium there was coffee and hot pies and frankfurters and great creamy cakes. Below the theatre experts were giving a live commentary on the moves — not as fast as the Derby perhaps, but no less fascinating to the people crowding in.
The game was not a sell-out. The auditorium was largely full but there were many spare seats for latecomers.
For the Icelanders there was plenty to see and do. One of the attractions was us journalists pumping out descriptions of the contest in a welter of ticker-tape and dashing in and out of the temporary telephone boxes.
Meanwhile back on the stage, the two grand masters continued to play, each move following rapidly on the other. As usual Fischer was the more restless. Full of orange juice and well stocked with apple juice for the match, he got up and wandered about. ([As did Spassky… while waiting to make his moves.])
Fischer's Opening Gambit 12 Jul 1972, Wed The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com
