AThe Vancouver Sun Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Tuesday, June 08, 1971 - Page 8
By Champ - Fischer Seen Top Chess Rival
Moscow (AP) — Boris Spassky, world chess champion, said today that Bobby Fischer, United States grandmaster, has the best chance to challenge him for the crown.
Spassky also confirmed he will enter the Canadian open chess championship in Vancouver in August.
He said he plans to attend a congress of the International Chess Federation in the Canadian city that month.
The challengers for the world title have been whittled down to four in a qualification tournament.
Fischer meets Bent Larsen of Denmark in one semi-final and two Soviet stars, Tigran Petrosian and Viktor Korchnoi, clash in the other.
Asked whom he would like to face in the title match, Spassky said he was not averse to meeting Fischer but is rooting for a Soviet grandmaster.
Spassky said he was particularly impressed by Fischer's play in his quarter-final match in Vancouver with Soviet grandmaster Mark Taimanov. Fischer won 6-0.
“It seemed to me to surpass the other quarter-finalists from the viewpoint of the art of chess,” Spassky said.
