AUkiah Daily Journal Ukiah, California Tuesday, October 19, 1971 - Page 6
Fischer Gains Chess Edge
Buenos Aires (UPI)—America's Bobby Fischer took a one-point advantage at the halfway mark of his chess candidate's elimination match against Tigran Petrosian beating the Russian in 67 moves in their sixth of 12 games. The seventh game was being held today.
Fischer, 28, from New York City, overcame a tenacious endgame defense by Petrosian Monday night and forced him to resign. The game, played over two days, lasted seven hours and 50 minutes.
The game, longest of the six played so far, was suspended on Sunday after 41 moves and resumed Monday afternoon.
Winner of the series will play Russia's Boris Spassky, world champion, for the title next spring.
For Fischer, the victory was the first since the opening game. It gave him a one-point advantage 3½ to 2½ for Petrosian.
Petrosian won the second game and the next three ended in draws.
Petrosian resigned in the face of a relentless combined attack by Fischer's bishop and a rook — working in conjunction with his king.
After the 43rd move, when Fischer took a pawn advantage and patiently hammered it home, Petrosian put up a magnificent defense. But the tall, blond American finally managed to infiltrate his rook behind Petrosian's pawn defense and the checkmate was only a matter of moves when the Russian resigned.
At the end, Fischer had two pawns, a rook and his bishop remaining.
Petrosian had four pawns and a rook.
A capacity crowd of 1,200 in the San Martin Theatre roared approval of the game when the two grandmasters stood up and shook hands.
