New York Times, New York, New York, Thursday, September 02, 1971 - Page 30
Chess: Fischer's Defeat at the Hands of Spassky—an Off-Moment
Bobby Fischer's 19-game victory streak, which includes 6-0 triumphs over Grandmaster Mark Taimanov of the Soviet Union and Bent Larsen of Denmark in the world chess eliminations, started in a tournament in Palma, Majorca, in Spain. Te last match the New Yorker lost was to Larsen, Denmark's grand master.
Only the mighty José Raul Capablanca, a Cuban genius and one-time world champion, came close to approximating this feat. For 10 years, Capablanca did not lose a single game.
Now actuaries need a good look at their basic figures. Is it perfection in strategy and tactics that insures victory, or is it the absence of blunder that safeguards each position? The blunder quota of Fischer's opponents—even the grandmasters—is out of line with their ability.
A slip of the finger or a mental block or hallucination are part and parcel of the repertoires.
Fischer Suffers Lapse -- The following game, Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union against Fischer, at the Siegen, West Germany, Olympiad, shows a blunder-prone Fischer in an off-moment.
The defeat was three months before Fischer's most recent setback against Larsen.
The defense, a Gruenfeld, is a favorite with Fischer. Early, Fischer obtained the edge because of White's isolated queen pawn. Out original appraisal favored Black. But it was indeed difficult to confirm the point.
Instead of move 24. … BxBch, Black could retain the better position by 24. … B-N3. Then after 25. QxPch, QxQ; 26. NxQ R-Q7; 27. BxB PxB.
After 32. … Q-B2, Black was in trouble. But 32. … K-N2 would not do because of 33. P-B5 Q-Q4 (to anticipate the dire threat of 34. Q-R4) 34. N-K8ch K-N1; 35. Q-K6ch R-B2; 36. PxP R/7xR; 37. PxRch, RxPch; 38. K-R1. Thus Fischer pitched a bungling game.
But is is interesting to note that Dr. Max Euwe, a former world champion and now president of the International Chess Federation, gives Fischer a 60-40 chance of beating Spassky if Fischer should win his elimination match against Tigran Petrosian of the Soviet Union and qualify to challenger for the world title held by Spassky.
It is conceivable that those who were blanked by Fischer should be down-rated to a “draw odds” group. This means, if they can manage to draw, they are credited with a victory. But it is rather clear that they cannot draw by splitting a point too easily.
In “draw odds,” the weaker player gets the White men. But Fischer has proved that he can play White or Black and win.
Boris Spassky vs Robert James Fischer
Siegen ol (Men) fin-A (1970), Siegen FRG, rd 6, Sep-20
Gruenfeld Defense: Exchange. Classical Variation (D86) 1-0
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1044698
Black Takes Initiative
The following game, played between Walter Shipman, one of Manhattan Chess Club's regulars, and Gisella Kahn Gresser, women's chess champion of the United States, in the club's round-robin championship, is a fine example of play, emphasizing opening to endings.
With her first move, Black affects a psychological front, trying to create the impression that she prefers an unorthodox opening. On move two, however, she seeks the security of orthodoxy and attempts to revert to its deployment.
With 5. P-B3, White wages his end of the psychological bit, willing to part with a pawn for good development.
With 6. … PxP, Black may retain the material but suffers a difficult development. But 7. BxPch, followed by 8. Q-Q5ch, etc., or even 7. Q-N3 introduces problems.
Later, with 10. P-N5, PxP soon to be followed by P-R6, White establishes a minor grip on the queenside. But White plays 10. O-O, making each tempo count.
Unnecessarily, Black takes it upon herself to swap down and create a weakness at … K3. Thus 10. … N-B3 is adequate when 11. B-KN5 can be met by 11. &hellip P-KR3 and a kingside pawn storm.
With 16. P-K5, White invests a pawn in his structure. He is sure to regain it, when the resultant position will remain in his favor. Black's 17. … BxN has nothing to recommend it. Black's bishop is better than the opposing knight. However, 17. … Q-B3 is reasonably all right.
Later, 25. … N-Q4 leaves much to be desired. There is still resistance in the position, but Black folds up when White's 27. R-K7 compels line interference in the rank.
Manhattan Chess Club's round-robin championship
Scotch Game
Walter Shipman (White) vs. Gisella Kahn Gresser (Black)
