AEdmonton Journal Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Friday, July 14, 1972 - Page 61
Iceland Match Sparks 'Rush' on Chess Sets
Unlike the hula hoop, the yo-yo, or even Monopoly, chess is the sort of pastime that seems to be immune to fads.
Nevertheless, interest in chess has picked up in Edmonton in recent weeks — starting about the time the Fischer-Spassky match in Iceland began to receive publicity.
Downtown stores selling board games report what might be described as a “rush” on chess sets beginning about a month ago. (In the chess-set business, a rush is a sudden sale of more than two or three sets at any time other than Christmas).
The sudden, if modest, enthusiasm was “strictly stimulated by the game” (between Fischer and Spassky), was the opinion of a Bay employee, who reported increased sales at the downtown store.
Crazy Eddit's Adult games, a specialty store on the Boardwalk downtown, reported a similar increase in sales.
“The cover story on Fischer in Life Magazine helped a lot,” said a clerk in Crazy Eddie's.
Hurtig's bookstores downtown and at the university campus have noticed increased turn-over in their stocks of chess books — both how-to books and accounts of Masters Tournament games.
“It would seem that the Fischer-Spassky match has sparked an interest,” said a mildly surprised employee of Hurtig's downtown.
Iceland Match Sparks 'Rush' on Chess Sets 14 Jul 1972, Fri Edmonton Journal (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) Newspapers.com
