ASanta Cruz Sentinel Santa Cruz, California Wednesday, July 12, 1972 - Page 2
Spassky Wins Opener
Reykjavik, Iceland (AP)—World champion Boris Spassky won the first game Wednesday in his world title chess series against American Bobby Fischer.
Fischer, in a hopeless position, resigned. He stood up, folded his score sheet and walked out of the Reykjavik sports palace.
The decision confirmed the judgment of the experts who considered Fischer was in a difficult position when the game was adjourned after 40 moves Tuesday night.
The victory gave Spassky a 1-0 lead in the 24-game match and an important psychological advantage. Fischer has never beaten Spassky. His winless streak against the Russian now stands at six games.
Fischer's resignation came after he had staged a walkout, apparently in objection to move cameras in the back of the hall. He stormed offstage and did not return for 30 minutes.
Then a while later, Fischer indicated he had given up by reaching over and stopping the clock. Park bench players usually do it by turning their king on its side.
He shook hands with Spassky and before he left, Fischer turned and waved to the crowd. The spectators applauded Spassky.
At the side of Fischer's car outside the stage door was a friend since childhood, John Collins, a wheelchair-ridden paraplegic who taught Fischer the moves when he was a kid in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Fischer rolled down the window and said, “I'm sorry for what happened. It will settle down.”
Then he drove away to the air-conditioned seclusion of his $63-a-day hotel suite.
Outside the hall Fischer was asked about a report from London that financier James Slater might not be able to get about $120,000 worth of promised prize money out of England because of British currency restrictions.
“No comment,” Fischer said. It was Slater's last-minute offer of more money which ended Fischer's two-day holdout at the scheduled start of the match.
The opening game of the world championship was adjourned Tuesday night after 40 moves.
Fischer and the defending champion from Russia left the table with the American in a difficult position.
Spassky's 41st move was written on a slip of paper, put in a sealed envelope at the close of play Tuesday night and given to Chief Referee Lothar Schmid of West Germany.
Schmid ceremoniously opened the envelope at 5 p.m., 1 p.m. EDT — and made Spassky's move.
After five minutes of play and several indecisive moves by both men, Fischer popped up, spoke animatedly to Schmid and stalked offstage.
Schmid followed him off.
There wasn't much material left on the board after the exchange. As a difficult end-game commenced Fischer had a king and, four pawns, Spassky a king, two pawns and a bishop.
Fred Cramer, a U.S. Chess Federation official who went backstage to talk to Fischer, said the American had complained about the presence of movie cameras in the back of the hall. They were about 150 feet away and seemed inaudible from where Fischer sat.
Fischer's walkout lasted about half an hour.
Spassky Wins Opener 12 Jul 1972, Wed Santa Cruz Sentinel (Santa Cruz, California) Newspapers.com
12 Jul 1972, Wed Santa Cruz Sentinel (Santa Cruz, California) Newspapers.com
Bobby Fischer Loses First Chess Game
He (Fischer) left immediately for his air conditioned hotel suite.
Fred Cramer, a U.S. Chess Federation official who sometimes speaks for Fischer, said the American would take some strenuous physical exercise Wednesday night to get in shape for his second game with Spassky on Thursday.
When Spassky left, a crowd shouted congratulations. The Russian came to the hall Wednesday expecting to win, his associated reported. He was unruffled throughout his faultless chess play.
Until Fischer's costly pawn capture at the 29th move on Tuesday, the game proceeded dully, with Spassky inviting exchanges and the prospect of a colorless draw.
Bobby Fischer Loses First Chess Game 13 Jul 1972, Thu Daily Press (Newport News, Virginia) Newspapers.com
