AThe Town Talk Alexandria, Louisiana Friday, August 25, 1972 - Page 5
18th Chess Game Ends In Draw, Score 10.5-7.5
By Jim Ward
Reykjavik, Iceland (UPI) — Bobby Fischer invoked the repetition-of-moves rules for the second consecutive time today and claimed and got a draw in the 18th game of his world championship match with Russian Boris Spassky to maintain his three-point lead.
It was not clear immediately whether world champion Spassky had blundered again as he apparently did in the 17th game or whether Fischer had deliberately called for a draw because he sensed danger. But the decision appeared to be mutual as the two players looked at the board, nodded and shook hands.
The draw means Fischer leads 10.5 points to 7.5 points and needs only two more points to become the second American world champion in history. The match consists of 25 games, and a draw counts as one half a point for each.
Fischer arrived 13 minutes late, played through five moves upon resumption of the game, then summoned arbiter Lothar Schmid just before making his own 48th move, and pointed out the move he intended to make.
Schmid nodded his head and Fischer held out his hand to Spassky for the handshake. Then Bobby stood up, took a sip of water and walked out.
Fischer held what grandmasters called “winning chances” at adjournment Thursday night.
“There must have been danger in the air, otherwise Bobby would not have offered a draw,” Yugoslav Grandmaster Svetozar Gligoric said. “He was a pawn up and is reputed never to gun for a draw.”
The enforced repetition-of-moves rule followed a similar draw in the 17th game in which Spassky held the advantage but had to settle for a draw when Fischer pointed out three moves in which the position had not changed on the board. The rule, a basic chess rule taught in every chess primer, says that if the same position occurs three times during a game with the same player to move, it is a draw should one of the players make the claim.
“I knew it was coming,” Schmid, the arbiter, said. “Bobby looked at Spassky. They nodded and then shook hands.”
The three repetitions came on the 45th through the 47th moves in a maneuver between the two over their queens.
Having successfully blocked a strong Spassky attack earlier in the game Thursday, the challenger played his 42nd move and leaned back confidently to watch his opponent.
Chess Game Play-by-Play
Reykjavik, Iceland (UPI) — The moves of the 18th game of the Boris Spassky-Bobby Fischer world chess championship:
Chart of position of pieces after Fischer-Spassky adjourn in 18th game
Spassky- Fischer, 18th Match
Chart shows the position of the pieces after Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky adjourned the 18th game of their world championship chess match Friday on the 42nd move with Fischer holding a pawn advantage. The play resumes today in Reykjavik, Iceland, with one grandmaster predicting “the final nail is about to be driven into Spassky's coffin.” (UPI Telephoto).
