ADaily News New York, New York Wednesday, October 06, 1971 - Page 306
U.S. Chess Wiz Trips On Crucial 13th Move by Robert Byrne, Special Correspondent of THE NEWS
Buenos Aires, Oct. 5—The most incredible winning streak in chess history came to an end in the Teatro General San Martin tonight when Tigran Petrosian defeated Bobby Fischer in the second game of their match.
Fischer, riding the crest of seven final wins in the championship tourney, had swept two matches against Bent Larsen and Mark Taimanov, both by 6-0, and had won his 20th straight game in the opener against the Soviet Union's Petrosian, an Armenian, here last Thursday night.
The prize at stake is $7,500 and the chance to meet world champion Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union for the world title. Consolation money to the loser here is $4,500. To win the match, a player needs 6½ points, with each victory counting for a point and a draw for a half-point.
It was risky play that brought about Fischer's downfall. His 13th move posted his bishop on a square where it quickly became vulnerable to attack by Petrosian's knight. When the knight was exchanged for the bishop, Fischer was saddled with a hopelessly weak double pawn. Correct would have been the prudent 13—QxP (B4).
The pawn had to be rescued, but advancing it permitted Petrosian to open lines against the king, which could not be sheltered by safely castling on either wing.
The powerful pawn sacrifice on the 20th move left no doubt about the outcome of the game, but Fischer fought back hard, sallying in with his queen, and trying to unsettle his opponent by tactical threats of his king's pawn.
But white's attack was not to be parried. Petrosian came up with a smashing exchange sacrifice on the 24th move, which gave black, who was struggling with divided rooks, and a homeless king, no further chance to recover.
