ANew York Times, New York, New York, Wednesday, September 29, 1971 - Page 30
Survey by Tass Gives Fischer Favorite's Role
Moscow, Sept. 28—Chess experts surveyed by Tass the official Soviet press agency, give Bobby Fischer, the American champion, a slight edge over his Soviet opponent in the forthcoming international chess matches.
The 28-year-old American from New York meets a former world champion, Tigran Petrosian of the Soviet Union at Buenos Aires in a 12-game match starting Thursday. The winner will qualify to play Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union, the world champion, for the title next spring.
In this chess-crazy country where Fischer was once frequently criticized for his outbursts of temper, the American has gained popularity this year with stunning victories. Among the experts predicting a Fischer victory were Mikhail Botvinnik of the Soviet Union and Miguel Najdorf of Argentina.
