AArizona Republic Phoenix, Arizona Wednesday, July 14, 1971 - Page 94
Russian Chess Match Tied; U.S. Ace Gains
Soviet grandmasters Tigran Petrosian and Viktor Korchnoi played to their fifth draw yesterday in Moscow in their semifinal round of the world chess tournament, the news agency Tass reported.
They agreed to a draw at the 16th move after a speedy exchange of queens on the 11th move, Tass said.
The two grandmasters have proved an even match so far in the semifinals, a 10-game series which is being played at the same time that America's Bobby Fischer and Denmark's Bent Larsen face each other in Denver, Colorado.
Winners of the two matches will play for the right to take on the reigning world champion, Boris Spassky.
In yesterday's match Petrosian and Korchnoi both chosen the “Tarrasch” defense opening which Spassky and Petrosian used in their championship series.
Tass chess commentator Yakov Rokhlin said the Tarrasch defense usually brings a fast and acute struggle, but in yesterday's game it was not until the seventh move that a piece fell — Korchnoi's knight taking Petrosian's knight.
In the sudden exchange that followed the remaining knights fell, and an exchange of pawns left the board symmetrical.
Then came the exchange of queens and four moves later the grandmasters agreed to a draw.
At the same time, in Denver, U.S. chess ace Bobby Fischer defeated Bent Larsen of Denmark for the fourth straight time yesterday in their 10-game chess match there.
The victory gives Fischer 4 points. He needs only 5½ points to close out his opponent and go on to meet the winner of the other semifinal match between Petrosian and Korchnoi.
A victory counts as one point and a tie as a half point.
