The World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF) pays homage to American chess phenom Bobby Fischer with the largest exhibition of its kind, <a href="https://worldchesshof.org/exhibit/72-fischer-spassky?mc cid=0274788ba4&mc eid=3790e8c2dc">1972 Fischer/Spassky: The Match, Its Origin, and Influence"</a>, on view from August 18, 2022, through April 30, 2023. A <a href="https://worldchesshof.org/program/12991?mc cid=0274788ba4&mc eid=3790e8c2dc">public opening reception</a> is happening on Thursday, August 18, 2022, 5-8 pm, with free admission. | Photo: worldchesshof.org
After the first two traumatic games World Champion Boris Spassky was leading 2-0 in the Match of the Century. But then Fischer started to play and struck back: in the next eight games he scored 6½ points, chalking up a 6.5-3.5 lead. Games 8, 9 and 10 were quite spectacular, and are the subject of today's report – exactly fifty years after game ten. Younger players will also learn about "adjournments" and how exactly "sealed moves" were handled. Some were born after these practices were abandoned.
Today we offer readers a glimpse of what had been happening behind the scenes of “The Match of The Century”, especially in the Russian camp, exactly fifty years ago. A tense Boris Spassky, cajoled by seconds Efim Geller and Nikolai Krogius, nevertheless failed to perform, to the dismay of his friends and admirers. It’s also the story of a gamble that could have hurtled Bobby down the precipice in that fateful Game 6 of the match. A cautionary tale and object lesson for aspiring players.
Today 50 years ago, on July 1, 1972, the opening ceremony of the world chess championship match between reigning world champion Boris Spassky and his challenger GM Bobby Fischer took place in Reykjavik, Iceland. Fischer, however, wasn't there, and the first game, scheduled for the next day, was only.