APhiladelphia Daily News Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Wednesday, October 27, 1971 - Page 8
Fischer Wins Chess Match, Gets Crack at World Title
Buenos Aires (UPI)— Bobby Fischer, a Brooklyn high school dropout who long has claimed to be the best chess player in the world, earned the chance to prove it last night by beating Tigran Petrosian in the final challenge round.
Fischer's win brought him $7,500 while Petrosian received $4,500, tournament officials said.
Fischer's win over Petrosian, himself a former world champion, gives him the right to challenge the reigning chess king, Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union. The championship series will be played next spring at a site and time to be decided on.
The Climax Came in the ninth game of their scheduled 12-game series. Playing white, Fischer, 28, forced Petrosian, a 42-year-old Russian, to resign in the 46th move. With that, Fischer had the necessary 6½ points to win the tournament.
Fischer, at 14 U.S. chess champion and at 15 a grandmaster, dropped out of high school to devote his life to chess — and since has had time for little else.
He becomes the first American to win the challenge round, which began in 1948 following the death of then champion Alexander Alekhine of the Soviet Union.
Since then the title has been in the grip of the Russians, with Petrosian losing it to Spassky in 1969.
