AThe Honolulu Advertiser Honolulu, Hawaii Monday, August 07, 1972 - Page 16
Fischer Yields On 31st Move
Reykjavik, Iceland (UPI)—Boris Spassky won the 11th game of the world chess championship yesterday by forcing American challenger Bobby Fischer to resign on the 31st move, a victory that put the Russian back into contention to retain his title.
Spassky's triumph was his first at the chess board since the opening game of the 24-game championship, and it cut Fischer's lead in match points to two—6.5 to 4.5
THE RUSSIAN all but assured his victory by capturing Fischer's Queen on the 25th move, but the challenger refused to resign at that point and played six more moves before giving up his effort to salvage the game.
The victory in the 11th game took considerable pressure off the defending champion, but he still must win at least two more games and draw 11 in the remaining 13 games of the 24-game match in order to retain his title. Fischer on the other hand can win the championship merely by drawing 12 of the remaining games. The American can afford to lose one more game.
“If ever Spassky needed a good win to recover his confidence, it was today (Sunday). And what a game he played!” said Danish Grandmaster Bent Larsen.
“It still has to be Bobby for the match, but it is very much alive again,” Larsen said. Other experts, who were writing off Spassky as a loser prior to yesterday's game, agreed with Larsen's analysis.
