The Vancouver Sun Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Tuesday, May 25, 1971 - Page 39
Taimanov's Illness Delays Chess Match by Bill Rayner
The chess match here between Bobby Fischer and Mark Taimanov survived a medical crisis over the holiday weekend and is scheduled to continue today at 4 p.m.
Soviet grandmaster Taimanov, 45, early Sunday was put under doctor's orders to rest for 48 hours, thus forcing postponement of that day's scheduled fourth game of the 10-game match.
He had complained Saturday of not feeling well, and because of faulty translation, his symptoms were first described as heart palpitations.
However, an electrocardiograph at St. Paul's Hospital Sunday proved negative and Taimanov's illness was diagnosed as high blood pressure.
U.S. grandmaster Fischer, 28, was noncommittal about the postponement. He spent the weekend “taking it easy.”
Because of Sunday's postponement and an earlier dispute over playing facilities, the 10-game match is now several days behind schedule.
It will be delayed even more next Sunday. This normal playing date will be skipped because of Fischer's religion, leaving only two games scheduled for this week.
However, with Fischer's leading 3-0, most observers expect him to wrap up the match in the minimum six games. Winner of this quarter-final will advance in the elimination series to pick a challenger for world champion Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union.
Meanwhile, West Germany international master Robert Huebner, 24, withdrew Monday from his quarter-final match in Seville, Spain, with ex-world champion Tigran Petrosian of the Soviet Union.
Huebner, citing frayed nerves, withdrew after Petrosian defeated him in 40 moves Sunday in the seventh game. The first six games were drawn.
In Moscow Monday, Soviet grandmasters Viktor Korchnoi and Yefim Geller drew after 27 moves. Korchnoi leads the match 3½-2½ following a victory Saturday.
Sunday, Danish grandmaster Bent Larsen defeated East German grandmaster Wolfgang Uhlmann in the Canary Islands to take a 4-2 lead.
