AHonolulu Star-Bulletin Honolulu, Hawaii Sunday, July 16, 1972 - Page 85
'We Take You Now to Reykjavik'
Washington (UPI) — “Good evening. This is Frank Gifford, along with Don Meredith and Howard Cosell, bringing you, live and in color, the World Championship Chess Match. We'll be back with the exciting second year of play in just a moment. But first, this message…
“Frank Gifford back with you in the broadcast booth overlooking the chess board in Reykjavik, Iceland. I'll be describing the move-by-move action when play is resumed. And here with the highlights of the exciting first year of the match is my colleague, Howard Cosell.”
“Thanks, Frank. The first year ended with the Russian champion, Boris “Crazy Rooks” Spassky, leading the American challenger, ‘Bounding Bobby’ Fischer, three games to two. But one gets the impression the players have only been feeling each other out here in the early years of the match.
“Fischer departed from his original game plan by lining up a Nimzo-Indian defense. This is the formation used by American pioneers who defended themselves against the Nimzo Indians by moving their covered wagons into a circle.
“Later on, Fischer shifted into a Grunfeld defense, which was introduced in 1908 by the late ‘Pops’ Grunfeld, beloved chess coach at UCLA.
“In this instant reply, we see Spassky capturing Fischer's bishop with his veteran rook.
“FROM NOW on, we can expect a wide open match with plenty of thrills and fast-paced prestidigitation.”
“That's a mighty big word, Howard. You can explain it to Dandy Don later. Meanwhile, let's have Don give us a closeup analysis of these two exciting players.”
“Frank, I've been admiring the superb condition these players are in. Some days they make as many as three or four moves an hour, and you've got to be in top notch shape to keep that up.
“Ever since Fischer first came into the International Chess Federation, he has been credited in scouting reports with having ‘good hands.’
“This means he rarely drops a chess piece and almost never knocks his men off the board with his elbow, as so many amateurs do.
“SPASSKY, ON the other hand, is noted for his quick release. After making a move, he lets go of the piece about as quickly as anyone who has ever played this game.
“He reminds me of a guy pulling chess-nuts out of the fire. Chess-nuts—get it?”
“That's a dilly, Dandy. And we'll be back with more exciting action after this message.”
'We take you now to Reykjavik' 16 Jul 1972, Sun Honolulu Star-Bulletin (Honolulu, Hawaii) Newspapers.com
