AThe Orlando Sentinel Orlando, Florida Thursday, July 13, 1972 - Page 4
Spassky Team Finds Fischer Flaw by Harry Golombek
Reykjavik — Although when play was adjourned Tuesday night after 40 moves the result seemed unclear and champion Boris Spassky's winning possibilities uncertain, an overnight analysis by his assistant trio of grandmasters—Efjim Geller, Nikolai Krogius and Nej — showed that challenger Bobby Fischer's position was not really tenable in the first game of the world chess championship.
The first few moves of the play off went much as anticipated, but then Fischer's defense became more and more difficult. With a few short sharp strokes Spassky beat back his opponent's king.
THEN CAME a dramatic suspension of play. Fischer observed that a cameraman was training a camera on him from the roof. He protested and said he would not resume play until the camera was removed. For 32 minutes the game stood in abeyance, and in the interim. Fischer's clock was going. However, he had plenty of time. Fred Kramer, vice-president of the American Zone of the World Chess Federation, called in the police and the cameraman was ordered away.
When play was resumed, Fischer's position went downhill rapidly until he reached a point, where he was unable to move without material loss. Desperately he shifted his king over to the other win and did indeed succeed in removing one of the world champion's pawns. Meanwhile, Spassky's king was busily engaged in capturing Fischer's pawns. Fischer resigned on the 56th move when it was apparent that he secure a fresh queen.
SO THE score now stands; Spassky, 1, Fischer, 0, and the favorite has met with an unexpected defeat. Nevertheless, this is what happened to him last year in his final match in the candidates series against Petrosian at Buenos Aires, and he still won that match easily.
Will he recover his nerve in today's game when he has the white pieces: I have the feeling that Fischer is very much like the wounded lion who is never so dangerous as when he is first wounded. We shall see. One thing is certain, the match is very much alive.
[Harry Golombek, international chess grandmaster, has been three time British chess champion and a judge in six previous world chess championship matches. He is chess correspondent for the Times of London.]
Spassky Team Finds Fischer Flaw 13 Jul 1972, Thu The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Florida) Newspapers.com
