The Kansas City Star Kansas City, Missouri Thursday, July 13, 1972 - Page 1
Russians Happy
Moscow (AP)—The Soviet press today cautiously savored Boris Spassky's victory yesterday and awarded him a psychological edge.
Tass said “observers” in Iceland had noted that “Fischer brought off victories in all the preceding opening games in the tournaments of contenders. And now he has lost.”
But the official news agency quickly added, “the main struggle is ahead, although the world champion must be congratulated on his well-deserved success.”
Tallahassee Democrat Tallahassee, Florida Thursday, July 13, 1972 - Page 38
The press coverage of the event has been brief and restrained, considering that the Soviet Union has held the world championship for years and a measure of international prestige is involved.
Pravda, for example, carried three paragraphs of comment on the sports page — normal treatment for a chess match.
Anderson Daily Bulletin Anderson, Indiana Thursday, July 13, 1972 - Page 2
Soviets Savor First Chess Win
Of the 29th move that some experts considered a Fischer blunder, Pravda said:
“It is difficult to suppose that he deliberately used a version that didn't promise him anything but difficulties.
Soviet Sport, the country's leading sports newspaper, printed the fact of Spassky's victory on page one, but the comment on the game was confined to the first 40 moves.
The paper's commentator called Fischer's 29th move the “careless bishop”. He said “It is well known that the first game has an important psychological role and at the start the players are struggling not only to gain a point but from the very beginning trying to undermine their opponent's confidence.” ([Which is precisely what the Soviet were doing with their army of disruptive camera men. It is often falsely accused by the Soviets that Fischer was employing “Psychological warfare” tactics, but Fischer denied it, stating he “don't believe in psychology. I believe in good moves.” But the Soviet were guilty of employing psychological tricks months before the match, right up till the bitter end when Fischer was declared victor. The ensuing decades were rife with Soviet denial, desperate grasping defamation and juvenile psychological antics exemplifying a history of poor Soviet sportsmanship…])
Soviets Savor First Chess Win 13 Jul 1972, Thu Anderson Daily Bulletin (Anderson, Indiana) Newspapers.com
