ACalgary Herald Calgary, Alberta, Canada Monday, July 17, 1972 - Page 2
Spassky Concedes 3rd Game as Chess Turmoil Continues
Bulletin: Reykjavik (Reuter)—Bobby Fischer of the U.S. won the third game of the world chess title match against Russian Boris Spassky when the Soviet champion resigned today after 41 moves.
Reykjavik (Reuter)—The chaotic world chess championship appeared to be in jeopardy once again today after a decision to move play back to the main auditorium.
The ruling came just as American challenger Bobby Fischer seemed poised for the first win of his career over titleholder Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union, who requested that the adjourned third game be moved to the main hall.
The chief arbiter of the match, German grandmaster Lothar Schmid, ruled that play would continue in public following a statement made by the Russians at a special meeting of the two sides and the tournament committee.
The U.S. representative objected, saying the decision would frighten off Fischer—who is in a commanding position in the current game and is generally expected to clinch victory soon after this afternoon's restart scheduled for 1 p.m. EDT.
But informed sources said that after some bitter debate, a solution to the problem appeared to be in sight when a telephone call from Fischer's senior lawyer, Paul Marshall, in New York, revealed that the American Broadcasting Co. was giving up its rights to television coverage of the event.
However, it was not immediately clear whether this meant the definite withdrawal of cameras from around the stage in the auditorium, which is the demand Fischer has been making.
Fischer lost the first match to Spassky and then forfeited the second when he did not appear, leaving him an uphill task since Spassky has only to draw in the remaining matches of the 24-game series to retain his title.
Only Sunday, Fischer was on the verge of flying home and leaving ([but according to William Lombardy, these rumors were circulated widely and he knew nothing of them]) what has been described as the chess match of the century in ruins behind him ([due to disruptive camera men violating rules of the match, organizers attempting to force Fischer into an intolerable situation with what was described as up to three men per camera crew, that could both be seen and heard, no more than a mere 15 feet from where Fischer was seated. An obvious, deliberate attempt to blow Fischer's concentration, to provoke him. Organizers and their media contacts flagrantly and misleadingly denied rules of the match in world news media, knowing, Fischer had the right not only to protest but demand removal of the cameras altogether, if they disturbed either contestant. The crews of men operating the cameras were neither silent nor were they invisible or hidden. Additionally, reports were made by notable chess reporters such as Schonberg and Golombek in personal, eye-witness syndicated commentaries about the disruptions of such camera men, from above, on the roof training a camera on Fischer, and from the side of the stage during the first match, after which, Fischer not only protested, but boycotted the second match]) But he stayed on and has bounced back into the title race.
Papers Turn About
Reykjavik newspapers which had been critical, heaped praise on the 29-year-old New Yorker today and described his play in the third game as a great display of vigorous and imaginative chess.
Fischer was expected to finish off the adjourned third game in a few moves to reduce Spassky's lead to 2-1.
Chess experts are not ruling out the possibility that Spassky will inform chief arbiter Schmid during the day that concedes the game. This would then be announced from the stage when the game is scheduled to resume.
A win tonight would be Fischer first in seven meetings with the 35-year-old Spassky and could perhaps mean the breaching of a major psychological barrier for the American.
To ensure that Fischer would continue the match, play was held Sunday in a back room of the hall instead of on the giant stage. It was followed only by an automatic close-circuit camera, to which Fischer had no objection. ([Exactly. Unmanned, automated video cameras are what Fischer was wrongly led to believe would be placed in the main auditorium to begin with, by organizers and Chester Fox Inc. when he agreed to the cameras weeks earlier.])
Although Spassky had the advantage of starting first with white pieces, Fischer moved into the attack quickly and showed he was ready to take chances in order to shake Spassky.
On the 11th move, the Brooklyn genius launched an unexpected counter-offensive down the king side and by mid-game seemed to have taken the upper hand.
He forced the Russian to relinquish a bishop for a knight and then concentrated pressure on the champion's center pawn. After some skirmishing on both sides, Spassky lost a pawn and Fischer clearly had the advantage at adjournment.
Two of the Russian's closest aides, Grandmaster Efim Geller and Nikolai Krogius, both confirmed that their man was losing.
Both players looked tired as they emerged from the side entrance of the building and Fischer showed no signs of elation when the crowd waiting outside applauded.
Has One More Pawn
When they adjourned, each player had his king, queen and one bishop remaining while Fischer had six pawns to Spassky's five.
Rev. William Lombardy, American grandmaster who is Fischer's second, said Spassky was “in a bad position.”
In five previous meetings, Fischer never had beaten Spassky. He lost three playing black and drawn two when he played white and had the first move.
Fischer needs 12½ points to dethrone Spassky while the Russian can retain his title with only 12. A player gets a point for winning a game and half a point for a draw.
