Daily News New York, New York Thursday, July 13, 1972 - Page 53
Opener Goes To Spassky in 56 Big Moves by Robert Byrne
Reykjavik, Iceland, July 12—Boris Spassky, 35, world chess champion, won the opening game of his 24-game title match with challenger Bobby Fischer in 56 moves here in the Laugardalshoell Sports Palace tonight.
The blond Russian got off to a slow start in the first session yesterday, aiming for a solid position by the careful 9. N-K2. Up to move 29, that strategy had completely failed to pay off against Fischer's exact defense, and it looked as though the first game of the match would end in a peaceful draw.
But Fischer shocked the fans here by snapping off the king's rook pawn, allowing Spassky to trap his bishop. Six more moves left Bobby minus the bishop, with only two pawns to show for it. No one knows for sure whether it was audacity or a miscalculation of this possibility: 33. P-R6, 34. K-N4 B-N8, 35. KxP BxP, 36. B-Q2 that did Bobby in.
Determinedly struggling to make use of his superior king position and the two pawns, the American had succeeded by move 40, when the first session ended in confusing about half the followers into thinking he was on top. But he couldn't fool Spassky. When play resumed tonight, the world champion drove smoothly to the win by precise, merciless technique.
