The Town Talk, Alexandria, Louisiana, Friday, August 04, 1972 - Page 4
Fischer Predicted to Win 10th Chess Match
By Julie Flint, Associated Press Writer
Reykjavik, Iceland (AP) — The experts predicted that Bobby Fischer would win the 10th game of the world chess championship today, giving him a commanding 6½-3½ lead over Boris Spassky.
Grandmasters Bent Larsen of Denmark and Svetozar Gligoric of Yugoslavia agreed that the American challenger appeared certain to gain a three-point edge when play resumes in the game.
“Spassky is massacred,” said Gligoric. “It is unbelievable that the world champion cannot even manage a draw.”
“If Spassky loses this game, the match becomes a farce,” said British Grandmaster David Levy.
Play was adjourned Thursday night after the 40th move, and Fischer handed his sealed 41st move to referee Lothar Schmid.
With a win counting one point and a draw half a point, Fischer needs 12½ points to capture the championship and Spassky must get 12 to keep it.
Fischer was playing the white pieces Thursday, giving him the first move. It was pawn to king four, an opening he used only once in the three previous times he played the white pieces. Then he went into the Ruy Lopez pattern, but Spassky broke out of it with an exchange of pieces that left the board open for attacks.
Grandmaster Isaac Kashdan, analyzing the matches fro the Associated Press, said Fischer after the 40th move “had the material advantage with two rooks against a rook and a bishop. Spassky had the edge in pawns, four against three., but this did not quite make up for the deficit.”
Twice Spassky appeared trapped by Fischer's aggressive play, but both times he wriggled out.
When the American's queen threatened Spassky's kingside bishop pawn and then checked, the champion used his bishop to force one of Fischer's rooks to protect his forward pawns, isolated from the mate strike.
Spassky escaped again after one of Fischer's rooks grabbed his bishop and another put him in check.
Shortly before the adjournment, Larsen said the Russian had chances for a draw. But these chances disappeared when Fischer advanced his king and edged his pair of rooks to bear on Spassky's king. This matched a strong pair of rooks against the Russian's rook and bishop.
The Town Talk, Alexandria, Louisiana, Friday, August 04, 1972 - Page 4
American Chess champion Bobby Fischer (left) and defending world champion Boris Spassky (right) of the Soviet Union arrive at the sports hall in Reykjavik Thursday for the tenth game of their world championship match. The two agreed to adjourn the game after 40 moves. Fischer sealed his 41st move and the game will be resumed today. (UPI Telephoto)
The Town Talk, Alexandria, Louisiana, Friday, August 04, 1972 - Page 4
Spassky vs. Fischer 10th Match
Chart shows the position of the pieces after the tenth game of the world chess championship between defending champion Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union and American challenger Bobby Fischer was adjourned following 40 moves Thursday. Fischer sealed his 41st move and the game will be resumed today. (UPI Telephoto).
The Town Talk, Alexandria, Louisiana, Friday, August 04, 1972 - Page 4
Play-by-Play
Reykjavik (UPI)— The moves in the 10th game of the Boris Spassky-Bobby Fischer world chess championship:
