AEvening Standard London, Greater London, England Wednesday, July 12, 1972 - Page 13
Spassky's Next Move—Sealed Up by Leonard Barden
BORIS SPASSKY slept peacefully in Reykjavik last night while his seconds Ewfim Geller and Ivo Ney analysed the unfinished end game in the world chess match.
Seconds in international chess are on the payroll just so that a player can rest and be shown the winning or drawing moves before the game is resumed. Squads of masters in Moscow's Central Chess Club are also analysing the position and working out ways to beat Bobby Fischer.
Fischer analyses on his own or with his second, Grand Master William Lombardy.
Can Spassky win? It all depends whether his king and bishop can stop and catch the black pawns on the king's side. Spassky put his 41st move into a sealed envelope ready for the resumption at 5 p.m. this afternoon.
Adjourned
With smart tactics, he adjourned half an hour early to enable his seconds to analyse rather than try to work out a win across the board.
Almost certainly Spassky has sealed 41. PxP forcing Fischer to recapture by 41. KxP. Can Spassky now break through with his king? Probably not, for if 42. K-R5 Fischer keeps the king out by 42. K-B4.
Can Spassky stop Fischer's pawns? Certainly yes, for instance by 42. B-Q6ch P-K4; 43. K-R3 P-N4; 44. K-N2. The Grand Masters in Reykjavik and Moscow hope to find a way for Spassky's king and bishop to drive back Fischer's king and then capture Fischer's pawns while Fischer's second is looking for a way to hold the pawns by stalling tactics.
The experts all forecast a draw at best for Fischer. Many of them, such as Yugoslav champion Gligoric, believe that Spassky must win. After a night of hard work, the Grand Masters will have reached a clear-cut verdict.
What do you think?
Spassky's Next Move--Sealed Up 12 Jul 1972, Wed Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com
