AAustin American-Statesman, Austin, Texas, Thursday, August 31, 1972 - Page 33
Tourney May See Chess Foes
San Antonio, Tex. (AP) — Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer, the chess kings now vying for the world title, may be the star attractions of an international chess tournament here, organizers say.
San Antonio business executive George Church, sponsor of the tournament set for Nov. 18-Dec. 11 said Spassky may appear as a player and Fischer as a narrator for a television network.
Church said Spassky has accepted an invitation to the tournament, but he still must receive official approval from the Soviet Union.
Russia has promised to send two grand masters here, he said.
Church also confirmed an announcement from New York that negotiations are under way for Fischer to narrate the competition.
According to the announcement, Spanish International Network of New York has acquired world rights to the San Antonio tournament, and network president Rene Anselmo is conducting talks with Fischer's representatives.
The network said it will televise the tournament live and will videotape it for future distribution world-wide. It said this will be the first time an international chess tournament will be telecast in its entirety.
Sixteen players, including two Russians are to compete in the tournament.
Among the U.S. players expected are Larry Evans, Lubomir Kavalek, Dr. Anthony Saidy, Kenneth Smith and Robert Byrne.
Foreign players scheduled to compete include Walter Browne of Australia, Mario Compos Lopez of Mexico, Svetozar Gligoric of Yugoslavia, Zlostmil Hort of Czechoslovakia, Julio Caplan of Puerto Rico, Enrique Mecking of Brazil, Bent Larsen of Denmark, Lajos Portisch of Hungary and Duncan Suttles of Canada.
Courier-Post Camden, New Jersey Thursday, August 31, 1972 - Page 8
Henry to Bobby: Go Play Chess
Honolulu (UPI) — Presidential Adviser Henry A. Kissinger, who calls himself a “reasonably good” chess player, said yesterday he urged Bobby Fischer to fly to Iceland for the championship match with Boris Spassky.
“I just called him to say a lot of people were rooting for him and it wasn't just a personal thing,” Kissinger told newsmen aboard the presidential jet en route to Honolulu.
Kissinger said he called the American chess genius in New York just hours before Fischer finally boarded a flight for the tournament after threatening not to show for a variety of reasons, including money.
Courier-Post Camden, New Jersey Thursday, August 31, 1972 - Page 8
After 54 Moves, It's Another Draw
Reykjavik, Iceland (UPI) — The moves in the 20th game of the Boris Spassky-Bobby Fischer chess championship:
Courier-Post Camden, New Jersey Thursday, August 31, 1972 - Page 8
Fischer, Spassky Sit Down to 21st
(Caption: POSITION of chess pieces after Bobby Fischer climbed to within one point of the world title.)
Reykjavik, Iceland (UPI)—Bobby Fischer, needing only one more point to take the world chess championship from Boris Spassky, set up a Sicilian defense in the 21st game today against the Russian champion's king pawn opening.
Fischer arrived four minutes late butt might have been on time had he not had to detour en route to the playing hall from his hotel because of a traffic accident.
Spassky, on stage for what could be his last game as champion when arbiter Lothar Schmid started the clock, moved his pawn to king four—Fischer's favorite opening. Spassky waited for Fischer to arrive, shook hands with him, and left the stage while Fischer pondered his move.
The American challenger, 29, who started playing chess before his teens and dropped out of high school at 16 to devote all his time to it, got a draw in the 20th game against Russian world champion Boris Spassky yesterday and moved within one point of the magic figure—the 12.5 points necessary to win the title.
Relaxed and smiling, Fischer called over referee Lothar Schmid after the Russian played his 54th move and offered a draw. After a slight hesitation Spassky accepted and put out his hand for the traditional handshake.
The 600 fans on hand for the 20th game, which had been started Tuesday and adjourned in the 41st move yesterday, could hardly believe their eyes at the sight of the gay and smiling Fischer, a far cry from the temperamental and eternally protesting player of previous games.
“Yes, it was very pleasant,” said Schmid. “Bobby asked me if I could point out the position for a repeated move because he could not remember. I had to get my own scoresheet as his was unreadable.”
After the challenger left the stage Spassky remained seated. Suddenly he picked up Fischer's king and started moving it round on the wooden squares, going through a number of positions.
Walked Off Stage
“No,” he finally told Schmid, “I cannot find a win anywhere.”
Then he picked up his thermos of coffee and walked slowly off stage.
Most grand masters agreed with the world champion that there was no alternative to a draw.
But U.S. grandmaster Larry Evans wasn't quite so sure. “I'm not convinced Spassky exhausted all possibilities, but it will take days of careful analyzing to see what he could have done.”
The Morning News Wilmington, Delaware Thursday, August 31, 1972 - Page 65
Moves of Drawn 20th Chess Game
Reykjavik (UPI) — The moves in the 20th game of the Boris Spassky-Bobby Fischer chess championship.
Fischer Nears Title as 20th Chess Game is Another Draw
Reykjavik—Bobby Fischer drew the 20th game of his match with Boris Spassky yesterday and was one point from becoming the first American chess champion of the world.
Fischer was delighted with the draw reached after more than 6½ hours of play over two days. He walked off grinning. Spassky sat staring glumly at the board for several minutes after referee Lothar Schmid had cleared away the pieces.
Fischer has 11½ points in the match, one short of the 12½ he needs to take the crown the Russian has held for three years. The American challenger can wind it up with a win today or two half-point draws today and Sunday.
SPASSKY with 8½ points has to win three and draw one of the maximum of four remaining games to continue as champion.
The draw came after 54 moves of a Sicilian defense adjourned Tuesday in a position considered level or slightly favoring Spassky. At the end, the Russian controlled more space on the board than Fischer and had a strong center pawn.
But the material was even—two pieces and five pawns on each side—and Spassky failed to find a way to break into Fischer's defense.
FINALLY Fischer, apparently believing the position on the board had been repeated three times, beckoned to referee Lothar Schmid. Under chess rules, a triple repetition of the position means a draw may be claimed, and Fischer appeared eager to claim it. Schmid announced the draw and said it resulted from the repetition. But later he said the final position was still being discussed when the players just agreed to halve the point.
“They were only going around the mulberry bush anyway,” he said.
Spassky was obviously going for a win and expected a short game. When the Russian champion arrived he brought only one Thermos bottle and one chess expert said it was evident Spassky did not expect to stay a long time.
But—close to the world title—the American chess genius was not in a mood to take chances.
IT was the seventh draw in a row in a series that began with fireworks—a Spassky win and a Fischer forfeit giving the Russian a two-point lead. Fischer gained the lead in the sixth game and has held a three-point edge since the 13th game.
Considerable interest is being given to today's game, in which Fischer will have the black pieces. He has the reputation of doing anything to avoid draws, though the last seven games have tarnished that reputation. Many feel, however, that Fischer would not wish to sidle into the championship, draw by draw, half point by half point. Perhaps, then, he will expand some extra effort today in an attempt to win the match by a knockout. Of the six games he has won, three have been with the black pieces.
Icelandic scientists delayed their final report on an examination of Spassky's chair, prompted by a Soviet complaint that the Americans might have tampered with it. Icelandic chess officials said it was a foregone conclusion that the report would show nothing to back up the Russian claim.
The Circleville Herald Circleville, Ohio Thursday, August 31, 1972 - Page 4
Points To Ponder
World Chess Champion Boris Spassky, left, and American Challenger Bobby Fischer study the chess board during world chess championship match at Reykjavik, Iceland. It was Fischer's move. The game ended in a draw with Fischer needing 1 point to reach 12½ points winning total needed to take the title away from Spassky.
Austin American-Statesman Austin, Texas Thursday, August 31, 1972 - Page 6
Fischer Victory A Point Away
By Andrew Torchia
Reykjavik, Iceland (AP) — Bobby Fischer was only one point from the world chess championship today, and the big question was whether he would try to wrap it up in today's game or cautiously coast to victory on two half-point draws.
Fischer and champion Boris Spassky drew their 20th game Wednesday, giving the American challenger 11½ points to Spassky's 8½.
A victory counts one point, a draw half a point for each player. Fischer needs 12½ points to win the title and Spassky needs 12 to keep it.
Victory for Fischer would take the championship away from the Soviet Union for the first time since 1946.
“I think Bobby will play to win — but he is being very careful now,” said Miguel Quinteros, an Argentinian master who recently joined the American entourage.
Some observers say the last seven games were draws because Spassky was playing sound chess and not because Fischer's appetite for a win had diminished. Others believed that having racked up six wins to Spassky's three in the first 13 games, and one of those Russian three a forfeit, Fischer felt he would prove nothing by taking risks.
If this match was being played according to the rules already adopted for the 1976 championship, Spassky would have lost his crown to Fischer on the 13th game. Under the new rules not yet in effect, draws will not count, and the match goes to the first player to win six games.
The young American appeared delighted as he walked off the stage after Wednesday's draw on the 54th moves. Spassky sat glumly staring at the board for several minutes after the referee cleared away the pieces.
The game had begun Tuesday and was adjourned with Spassky in a position some experts thought might give him a victory. But after the game resumed, the champion could not find a line of play to capitalize on his placement.
Reykjavik, Iceland (AP) — Here are the remaining moves in the adjourned 20th game of the world championship chess match between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky: Fischer-white Spassky-black.
The Dispatch Moline, Illinois Thursday, August 31, 1972 - Page 2
Fischer Only Point Away From World Chess Title
Reykjavik, Iceland (UPI) — Chess genius Bobby Fischer is a win away from the world title he dreamed of for 20 years.
The American challenger, 29, who started playing chess before his teens and dropped out of high school at 16 to devote all his time to it, got a draw in the 20th game against Russian world champion Boris Spassky Wednesday and moved within one point of the magic figure—the 12.5 points necessary to win the title.
Relaxed and smiling, Fischer called over referee Lothar Schmid after the Russian played his 54th move and offered a draw. After a slight hesitation Spassky accepted and put out his hand for the traditional handshake.
The 21st game begins at 1 p.m. EDT today with Spassky playing white and moving first. The 35-year-old Leningrad journalist must win at least three and draw the fourth of the remaining games to retain the title he won in 1969 and which has been in Russian hands for 35 years.
The 600 fans on hand for the 20th game, which had been started Tuesday and adjourned in the 41st move until Wednesday, could hardly believe their eyes at the sight of the gay and smiling Fischer, a far cry from the temperamental and eternally protesting player of previous games.
“Yes it was very pleasant,” said Schmid. “Bobby asked me if I could point out the position for a repeated move because he could not remember. I had to get my own scoresheet as his was unreadable.”
After the challenger left the stage Spassky remained seated. Suddenly he picked up Fischer's king and started moving it round on the wooden squares, going through a number of positions.
“No,” he finally told Schmid, “I cannot find a win anywhere.”
Then he picked up his thermos of coffee and walked slowly off the stage.
Most grand masters agreed with the world champion that there was no alternative to a draw.
But U.S. grandmaster Larry Evans wasn't quite so sure. “I'm not convinced Spassky exhausted all possibilities, but it will take days of careful analyzing to see what he could have done.”
Svetozar Gligoric of Yugoslavia disagreed. “It was a dead draw unless one of them made a blunder and those days are over. Bobby put up a masterly defense and there was nothing Spassky could do about it.”
“With his life-time ambition so near Bobby was not in a mood to take chances and I doubt he'll risk anything in the next games.”
