The Vancouver Sun Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Wednesday, October 20, 1971 - Page 42
Fischer Increases Chess Match Lead
Buenos Aires (CP)— U.S. grandmaster Bobby Fischer defeated Soviet Union grandmaster Tigran Petrosian Tuesday night for his second straight win in their world chess challengers' final match.
Petrosian resigned on the 34th move after nearly four hours of play.
The game was in Fischer's favor all the way through but not by a large margin. At the end he was able to get both his rooks on the seventh rank and start a mating attack. Petrosian had no defence.
The victory gave Fischer a commanding lead in the 12-game match. He now has 4½ points to 2½ points for Petrosian.
The first player to reach 6½ points wins the right to play world champion Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union for the title.
Wins counts for one point and draws one-half. Fischer now has won three games and Petrosian one while the other three ended in draws.
The 28-year-old American had won the sixth game, but it took eight hours, 66 moves and two sessions — played Sunday and Monday nights in the San Martin Theatre.
This gave him a psychological edge on his 42-year-old opponent and he also had the white pieces which entitled him to the first move.
Fischer had the better position from the opening, which was a Sicilian defense chosen by Petrosian. The latter varied on the fourth move from his play in the first match game.
Petrosian allowed his pawns to be weakened and suffered from this disability throughout the game. Trying for a counter-play, Petrosian allowed one of Fischer's rooks to enter the seventh rank.
A few moves later, Fischer's second rook also advanced to the seventh, establishing mating threats. Petrosian's pieces were not coordinated and he had no defense when he resigned.
The eighth game will be played Thursday.
