AThe Gazette Montreal, Quebec, Quebec, Canada Saturday, November 06, 1971 - Page 50
Game of Kings: Russians Dazed by Defeat by D.M. LeDain
Russians were stunned at the rout of their favorite, Tigran Petrosian, by Bobby Fischer. “Four games in a row. That is a little hard to take. But we've still got Spassky,” was the comment of one fan in the Moscow Central Chess Club. Aleksandr Roshal, a prominent chess coach, remarked, “It can be said that the mood of the former world champion was affected more than anything else by the sixth game. It's impact was felt through the remainder of the match.”
“But” Mr. Roshal continued, “we have to admit that we cannot blame just that fateful game. Fischer is a great chess phenomenon. He possesses that rare combination of qualities that are essential for the struggle over the board.
The extraordinary nature of his possibilities is demonstrated alone by the fact that he is the only foreign chess player, after a quarter of a century of domination by the Soviet grandmasters, who has really come to grips with them in the fight for the world chess crown.”
The Argentine grandmaster, Miguel Najdorf, is quoted as saying, “Petrosian is a great chess player, but I think his nerves let him down. He played below his potential. Whatever happened to him?”
