The Journal News, White Plains, New York, Sunday, September 19, 1999 - Page 59
Bobby Fischer did his best for the West
The recent six-game showdown in Las Vegas between Russia's Alexander Khalifman and Vladimir Akopian of Armenia for the title of World Chess Federation world champion is a reminder of the rich reservoir of chess talent that's still to be found in Russian and other former Soviet republics.
Thirty years ago, Soviet chess supremacy was so obvious and intriguing that a four-round match in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, was arranged with much fanfare between teams from the U.S.S.R. and “the rest of the world.” It was a surprise to most when the U.S.S.R. team scraped by with only a one-point (20½-19½) victory.
A major factor in the West's unexpected performance was a 3-1 score by Bobby Fischer against former world champion Tigran Petrosian.
Fischer had long enjoyed an immense popularity among the chess-loving Yugoslavs, who had received his past visits to their country with an outpouring of warmth and appreciation. On this occasion, his splendid victories in rounds one and two against Petrosian were met with thunderous applause and public adulation. The normally reclusive Fischer made several television appearances, gave numerous interviews and signed hundreds of autographs.
The match was a step forward in the professionalization of the game. Before it began, Fischer drew up a list of conditions willingly met by the Yugoslav chess organizers. His requests, which included a ban on photographs during play and a provision for ample leg room, would seem embarrassingly modest by today's standards.
Thirty years ago, Fischer — now an embittered American expatriate living in Budapest, Hungary — embodied the aspiration of the West against Soviet chess supremacy.
Following is an astonishing victory by Russia's Boris Spassky over Bent Larsen of Denmark from the Belgrade event.
The Orlando Sentinel, Orlando, Florida, Friday, December 24, 1999 - Page 59
A Look Back At Great Students
Robert “Bobby” Fischer was a chess prodigy. He claimed the honor of winning the U.S. chess championship at the ripe old age of 14. Chess kept his sharp mind challenged, and at age 15 Fischer became the youngest international grandmaster in the history of the game. He went on to win the title of “World Chess Champion” in 1972, defeating Boris Spassky in what was to be the most publicized chess match ever.
