The New York Times New York, New York Thursday, April 22, 1971 - Page 38
Taimanov-Fischer Match Set for May 13 in Canada by Al Horowitz
The elimination and qualification match between Mark Taimanov and Bobby Fischer on the road to a challenger for the world championship, has been set for Vancouver, British Columbia, for May 13, at the University of British Columbia. Play will be paced at the rate of 40 moves in two and a half hours and the game will be adjourned, if necessary, after five hours.
Playing sessions will be held on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday and adjourned games will be played Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
The best of 10 games will be the winner and 5½ points will decide. The local specifications call for the players and spectators to be in separate rooms. In event of a tie the match will continue on a pre-arranged basis.
The 45-year-old Taimanov of the Soviet Union, is an international grandmaster who played for the U.S.S.R. in the world Students' Team Championship of 1955, the Chess Olympiad of 1956, the European Team Championships and in matches against Argentina, the U.S., Britain, among others.
A leading theoretician, Taimanov has introduced a number of ideas in many opening patterns currently in vogue.
He is also a concert pianist and studied music at the Leningrad Conservatory. At the age of 9 he played a leading role in a children's film, “Beethoven Concerto.”
He recently said that anyone who would get through the title eliminations would have to go through Fischer. Hence, he is content to tangle with the American.
An example of his skill is the following English Opening where the former world champion, Vasily Smyslov, was White. As a rule Taimanov has a certain impetuosity, but in this game, in the 29th USSR championship in Baku, he remained calm, until there came a convenient moment to snatch the initiative. After a slow improvement during the course of the game, he executed a damaging foray with 33. … Q-Q8 and White no longer could squirm.
Bobby Fischer was born Robert James Fischer on March 9, 1943. He learned to play chess when he was six, and when he was 13 he was the youngest player to win the United States Junior Championship. Fischer has added victory to victory from then on, and it is safe to say he has instilled fear in all his opponents.
At the time he was a controversial figure, charging his Soviet opponents with pre-arranging drawn games and with consulting during play.
In the last Interzonal, the start of the present elimination series to which the current match is related, Fischer let it be known that he was not interested in drawing any game with the Russians. He refused all offers of a draw and finally would up with a score of 3½-½ against Yefim Geller, Taimanov, Lev Pologayevsky and Vasily Smyslov.
Below, in his game with the Yugoslav master Mario Bertok, Fischer as Black finds flaws in many sequences. When he drives the adverse knight with 21. P-N4, White determines on the futility of defense and parts with a piece, rather than commit a bungling mess. But with a piece minus, hope is gone.
Vasily Smyslov vs Mark Taimanov
USSR Championship 1961b (1961), Baku URS, rd 7, Nov-26
English Opening: Great Snake Variation (A10) 0-1
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1125916
Mario Bertok vs Robert James Fischer
Stockholm Interzonal (1962), Stockholm SWE, rd 22, Mar-04
Queen's Gambit Declined: Tartakower Defense. Exchange Variation (D59) 0-1
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1008412
