New York Times, New York, New York, Thursday, July 15, 1971 - Page 28
Chess: Fischer's Recent Showings Create Unbeatable Image by Al Horowitz
A chess tournament for computers will be held in Chicago over the first weekend in August. It is reassuring to know that some of our best technical minds are at work in this area, and we may someday have a machine that can hold its own with Bobby Fischer. Clearly no human player appears capable of doing it.
Whatever the final result of his match with Fischer, Grandmaster Bent Larsen of Denmark can content himself with the thought that he was the last one to beat Bobby—in a game at the interzonal tournament at Palma, Majorca, in 1970. The way things have been going of late, Larsen may be able to make the same boast in 20 years.
After his interzonal defeat by Larsen, Fischer closed out the tournament with seven straight victories. He then went on to rout Grandmaster Mark Taimanov of the Soviet Union, 6-0, in their quarter-final eliminations for the world challenge against Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union. Fischer quickly gained a 4-0 lead over Larsen in their semifinal match, running his streak of victories over top opposition to 17.
Larsen Springs Surprise — In the first match game, Larsen, with the Black pieces, sprang a little surprise when he played the French Defense, an opening he has not used much and for which he appears temperamentally unsuited. If Fischer was surprised by Larsen's choice, he was hardly unprepared, and soon got a winning game.
The opening is interesting.
Bobby has long favored the relatively quiet lines arising from 7. P-QR4 or 7. N-B3 over the wild play arising from 7. Q-N4. Although devotees of the French Defense may be disappointed not to see the latter, sharper move, the variation actually played presents its own problems, mainly concerned with the placement of some pieces.
Does the Black queen, for example, belong on QR4 or QB2? How soon should White play P-QR4, is at all? Does White's queen-bishop belong on its original diagonal, or on the diagonal QR4-KN8? Should White play B-K2 or B-Q3 or maybe P-KN3 and B-KR3?
The second game was a catastrophe for Larsen. He had a big advantage all the way, but got into time pressure, and doubtless overlooked Fischer's brilliant 42. … R-R5.
Robert James Fischer vs Bent Larsen
Fischer - Larsen Candidates Semifinal (1971), Denver, CO USA, rd 1, Jul-06
French Defense: Winawer. Advance Variation (C19) 1-0
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1044346
move #25 … Ne5
