APacific Daily News Agana Heights, Guam Friday, October 01, 1971 - Page 31
Fischer Picked To Win
Buenos Aires (UPI)—U.S. grandmaster Bobby Fischer was picked by several Argentine chess experts to win the Candidates Tournament over former world champion Tigran Petrosian of the Soviet Union today one day before the event starts.
Final details for the opening match, including drawing of the white pieces, were scheduled to be completed at a ceremony later tonight.
The matches will be held in the Martin Coronado Hall of the San Martin Theater which has space for 1,200 spectators. Games will begin at 5 p.m. (20:00 GMT)
Twelve matches have been scheduled over a period of 30 days but the tournament could end sooner if either player accumulates six and one-half points.
(Points are scored—one for each game won, one-half for draws, no points for games lost).
Winner of the tournament will gain the right to meet Russia's current world champion, Boris Spassky, for the title at a date and site to be determined.
Miguel Najdorf, Argentina's best-known international grandmaster, picked the 28-year-old Fischer to win the tournament on the strength of his age and his current winning streak.
However, Najdorf cautioned that Petrosian, 42, also could win.
“Nothing is impossible, Petrosian is an extraordinary defensive player. A wall, that's the hard test Fischer will face and we'll see in what shape he's in to break walls,” Najdorf said.
