AIowa City Press-Citizen Iowa City, Iowa Friday, September 01, 1972 - Page 1 and 2-A
Bobby Fischer Wins World Chess Crown
Reykjavik, Iceland (AP)—American challenger Bobby Fischer won the world chess championship today when Boris Spassky of Russia telephoned his resignation in the 21st game, which had been adjourned overnight.
Max Euwe, president of the International Chess Federation said Spassky had telephoned Lothar Schmid, match referee, shortly before the game was to resume with Spassky in a probable losing position.
It is the first time an American has ever held the title, although Paul Charles Morphy of New Orleans, who lived from 1837 to 1884, dominated play in the 1850s and came to be known as unofficial world champion.
The title match here had a limit of 24 games. Today's victory gave Fischer 12½ points to Spassky's 8½. Fischer won seven games, each worth a point. Spassky took three, including a forfeit—thus he actually won only two out of 10 games at the playing board. Each of 11 draws was worth half a point to each contestant.
Fischer, who is 29, is from Brooklyn. He stood to win $156,000 in prize money, counting a bonus put up by a British fan. He will reap further thousands in book royalties and other fees before he has to defend his title in 1976.
Spassky, who is 35, is to receive about $100,000 as runner-up. He had won the title in 1969 from Tigran Petrosian, a fellow Russian—indeed Russians have almost monopolized title play most of this century.
Referee Schmid announced on the stage where the players were to have resumed their 21st game at 3:30 p.m. that Spassky had telephoned his resignation at 12:50.
Schmid took the call and informed the American camp, but the Americans initially refused to accept the resignation as official. Schmid's announcement made it official.
Fischer arrived at the playing hall 15 minutes late after Euwe rules that he would have to appear to claim the title.
Fischer, walked on stage and stood looking at the chess board with one hand on his hip.
Then Schmid stepped forward and declared him the new champion.
The capacity crowd of 2,500 Icelanders cheered and some began a slow hand-clap. Fischer walked off and the ceremony was over.
Spassky did not appear.
Frank Skoff, president of the U.S. Chess Federation, said Fischer had not been informed of Spassky's telephone call and had been analyzing the game position until the last minute.
The match between the brilliant individualist—Fischer—and the smooth product of the state-supported Soviet chess machine had excited fans throughout the world.
Fischer saw the match as a personal vendetta against Soviet domination of chess.
At the end, feelings between the two players appeared less than cordial. Euwe said he wished Spassky had shown up at the playing hall to congratulate Fischer, but added that the Russian “was a little bitter” amid the controversy surrounding the match.
Fischer had shown up for the match several days late. He had kept Spassky waiting, leaving New York only after the British fan, financier James D. Slater, doubled the purse to $250,000.
Spectators in the playing hall were unaware of the last-second hassle over declaring Fischer champion. When Fischer appeared on stage they applauded him strongly in expectation that the game was about to resume.
When Fischer was declared champion, the crowd exploded in applause, then began its slow hand-clap.
Some shouted, “Bravo, Bobby.” Others cheered and whistled. Fischer smiled shyly.
Fans mobbed his car outside the hall. He smiled and waved as the car pulled away.
Fred Cramer, Fischer's personal representative, was asked if there would be as much controversy surrounding Fischer's first title defense as there had been for the Spassky match.
“If you call trying to stop people from sneaking cameras in and getting the proper lighting, fuss—maybe.” Cramer said. “Fischer is a professional.”
Cramer suggested that Fischer could hold the title a long time—“He's 29 and has a good life expectancy.”
