The Windsor Star Windsor, Ontario, Canada Thursday, September 30, 1971 - Page 16
Fischer Favorite to Win Two-Men Tourney
Buenos Aires (AP) — Chess experts here for the tournament between Bobby Fischer of the U.S. and former world champion Tigran Petrosian of the Soviet Union favor Fischer to win the 12-game match that opens today.
The winner will meet the Soviet Union's world champion, Boris Spassky, for the title.
Fischer and Petrosian have styles of play that are as far apart as two grandmasters can be.
New York-born Fischer players ever game to win. He will accept a slightly inferior position if both sides have a chance rather than simplify and allow a draw.
The cautious Petrosian holds his opponent at bay at all times, ready to equalize but waiting to take percentage of an error.
Both appear to be in good physical condition for the exhausting, month-long match that goes through Oct. 31 at the Theatre San Martin.
The lanky, 28-year-old American, who stands about four inches taller than Petrosian, 42 and chunky, got in shape with tennis sessions. Petrosian swam and took long walks.
Fischer is on a winning streak that reached 19 games in a row. This started with the last seven games of the interzonal tournament last December. It continued when Fischer defeated Mark Taimanov of the Soviet Union and Bent Larsen of Denmark by identical scores of 6-0.
This feat is unprecedented in grandmaster chess. The top players generally draw about half the games played and even a single victory by 6-0 without a draw is considered an outstanding achievement.
Petrosian also won two previous matches in the elimination series to determine a challenger for the championship, but by very close margins.
Against Robert Huebner of West Germany, Petrosian drew the first six games, then won the seventh. At that point, Huebner resigned the match.
Petrosian then met his compatriot, Victor Korchnoi, with almost the same results. The first eight games were all drawn. Petrosian won the ninth, drew the 10th, and won the match by the odd point.
Fischer and Petrosian have met 18 times previously, and are even with three wins apiece and 12 draws.
