The Morning Call, Allentown, Pennsylvania, Sunday, January 01, 1995 - Page 71
Fischer and Spassky value their friendship
Although Boris Spassky is remembered by millions as the Russian who was bested by Bobby Fischer after a fierce and prolonged struggle more than 20 years ago, he and the American chess genius have long been close friends.
At the time they played in Reykjavik, Spassky not only had the greatest affection for Fischer as a person, he also fathomed — as well or better than anyone else at the time — the extent of his chess abilities.
“In Iceland, Bobby was already stronger than me. But I thought I could beat him,” Spassky told me some years later.
During the two decades that passed before their 1992 return match in war-torn Yugoslavia, the two friends remained in contact. On at least one occasion Spassky visited Fischer in California.
Although once again protagonists on the chessboard, the warmth and mutuality of their friendship was evident in Yugoslavia where Fischer magnanimously announced that half the royalties from the so-called “Fischer clock” would go to Spassky.
In turn, Spassky was no less solicitous toward his friend. Asked recently if he had wanted to lose the second match, he said:
“Naturally not intentionally. But I felt that it would have been a catastrophe if Bobby had not won. Fortunately, things didn't go that far.”
In the same interview, Spassky revealed that Fischer — though poverty-stricken — had been once again true to himself. Before Yugoslavia, he had turned down an earlier lucrative offer from a Spanish organizer unprepared to meet his other conditions.
Below is a win by a much younger Fischer from the 1963 New York State Open.
Courier-Post, Camden, New Jersey, Sunday, October 15, 1995 - Page 86
Fischer's Remarkable 1972 Outburst
It's impossible to watch Garry Kasparov play Viswanathan Anand and not be filled with nostalgia for the wonderful summer of 1972. That was when Bobby Fischer dazzled us all as he wrested the world championship from Boris Spassky in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Fischer towered above his contemporaries. It wasn't just his dramatic and decisive victory over the Russian Spassky, a truly gifted player and a great fighter. A part of it was Fischer's astonishing success, unique in chess history, leading up to the championship match.
It all began during the 1970 Palma de Mallorca Tournament when Fischer caught fire and capped a winning performance by defeating each of his last eight opponents — an amazing achievement considering the usual frequency of draws among grandmasters.
What happened next stunned all observers. Defying all reasonable statistical expectations, Fischer won successive candidates matches from Bent Larsen and Mark Taimanov — two of the world's best players — by 6-0 scores. His momentum carried over into his final candidates match with ex-world champion Tigran Petrosian, whom he defeated 6½-1½.
During the skein starting in Las Palmas and ending with a second-round loss to Petrosian, Fischer won 20 straight games against the cream of the world's best players.
Fischer's 1972 odyssey radically changed chess history. It gave an incredible boost to the development and professionalization of a world chess culture. It is hard to imagine the richness and excitement of the current chess scene without Fischer's now mythical achievement.
Here is Fischer's crushing fifth-round win from his 1972 match with Spassky. After tying the score with this game, the kid from Brooklyn dominated the match.
