The first game was played on 11 July. Of the five games contested previously between the two players, the score was three wins for Spassky and two draws. At the appointed hour, match arbiter Lothar Schmid started the clock and Spassky played 1.d4, but Fischer was not in the Laugardalshoell Sports Exhibition Palace. Seven long minutes passed and then Fischer arrived. He shook Spassky’s hand and sat down to play. The ‘Match of the Century’ had finally begun.
Scene one: Bobby’s arrival. The exciting moment the whole world has been waiting for.
From Left to Right:
1. Jim Slater:”Savior of the day” the British Millionare ,who doubled the Prize Money.
2. Fridrik Olfsson: Grand Master,The..”M.I.P .” in Icelandic Chess Life.
3. Gudmundur G. Thorarinsson: President of the Icelandic Chess Federation.(dead beat)
4. Freysteinn Grettisfang: “The -almost-go-between”.
5. Bobby Fischer: Challenger of the Century.
6. Dr. Max Euwe: President of F.I.D.E. World Chess Champion 1935-1937.
7. Harry Golombek: The ” never-out-of- balance” Vice President of F.I.D.E.
8. Lother Schmid:Principal Arbiter and “Master of Silence”.
9. Gudmundur Arnlaugsson :Assistant Arbiter.
10. Chester Fox:The “Desperate” Film Producer.
11. Boris Spassky: World Chess Champion.
12. Efim Geller: Grand Master. Spassky’s Second. Speciality: Bobby.
13. Ivar Nei: International Master. Spassky’s Second.
GENS UNA SUMUS: We are One Race.
F.I.D.E : Federation Internationale Des Echecs: International Chess Federation
It’s difficult, now, to imagine the excitement generated by the 1972 world chess title match in Iceland between the Russian champion, Boris Spassky, and the American challenger, Bobby Fischer…
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14013115
Bobby Fischer was the blessing and the curse of chess in the 20th century. The American electrified the game when he rose to prominence in the 1950s and 60s, and won the world championship in a thrilling match against Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union in 1972..
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/jul/03/bobby-fischer-liz-garbus-film
http://www.mark-weeks.com/chess/72fs$$.htm
David Bronstein said “Of all the games from the match, the 13th appeals to me most of all. When I play through the game I still cannot grasp the innermost motive behind this or that plan or even individual move. Like an enigma, it still teases my imagination.”
Spassky-Fischer 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 g6 5.Bc4 Nb6 6.Bb3 Bg7 7.Nbd2 O-O 8.h3 a5 9.a4 dxe5 10.dxe5 Na6 11.O-O Nc5 12.Qe2 Qe8 13.Ne4 Nbxa4 14.Bxa4 Nxa4 15.Re1 Nb6 16.Bd2 a4 17.Bg5 h6 18.Bh4 Bf5 19.g4 Be6 20.Nd4 Bc4 21.Qd2 Qd7 22.Rad1 Rfe8 23.f4 Bd5 24.Nc5 Qc8 25.Qc3 e6 26.Kh2 Nd7 27.Nd3 c5 28.Nb5 Qc6 29.Nd6 Qxd6 30.exd6 Bxc3 31.bxc3 f6 32.g5 hxg5 33.fxg5 f5 34.Bg3 Kf7 35.Ne5+ Nxe5 36.Bxe5 b5 37.Rf1 Rh8 38.Bf6 a3 39.Rf4 a2 40.c4 Bxc4 41.d7 Bd5 42.Kg3 Ra3+ 43.c3 Rha8 44.Rh4 e5 45.Rh7+ Ke6 46.Re7+ Kd6 47.Rxe5 Rxc3+ 48.Kf2 Rc2+ 49.Ke1 Kxd7 50.Rexd5+ Kc6 51.Rd6+ Kb7 52.Rd7+ Ka6 53.R7d2 Rxd2 54.Kxd2 b4 55.h4 Kb5 56.h5 c4 57.Ra1 gxh5 58.g6 h4 59.g7 h3 60.Be7 Rg8 61.Bf8 h2 62.Kc2 Kc6 63.Rd1 b3+ 64.Kc3 h1 65.Rxh1 Kd5 66.Kb2 f4 67.Rd1+ Ke4 68.Rc1 Kd3 69.Rd1+ Ke2 70.Rc1 f3 71.Bc5 Rxg7 72.Rxc4 Rd7 73.Re4+ Kf1 74.Bd4 f2 0-1
When Spassky and Fischer shook hands, many in the audience thought that they had agreed to a draw, thinking that 75.Rf4 draws. But 75… Rxd4! 76.Rxd4 Ke2 wins; 75.Be5 Rd1 76.Kxb3 Re1 also wins for Black
*Wikipedia
From the archive, 12 July 1972: Fischer’s late opening gambit in Reykjavik
Originally published in the Guardian on 12 July 1972
http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2011/jul/12/archive-fischers-late-opening-gambit
AT HIS peak, Bobby Fischer was a figure of mystery and glamour who drew millions of new fans to chess, and in Liz Garbus’ sympathetic documentary, his extraordinary life and petulant soul are traced from his early triumphs as a child prodigy and teen age grandmaster to his Cold War showdown with Soviet champion Boris Spassky.
http://news.scotsman.com/entertainment/Film-review-Bobby-Fischer-Against.6799135.jp