AThe Sydney Morning Herald Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Sunday, August 01, 1971 - Page 93
World Chess Title - Fischer V. Russia
WORLD championship series designed to produce the most worthy challenger for the world chess crown always create great interest among many millions of chess players in all civilized countries and especially in those where chess rates as a national pastime.
The cycle takes four years and as the number of contenders is reduced the interest grows.
The third elimination stage is the so-called candidates tournaments played in a series of individual matches among eight players.
With the Soviet Union being the unquestioned leader in world chess, it was not surprising that the world crown stayed in that country for the past 25 years.
Now it looks as though a change is in the wind.
The American boy wonder, Bobby Fischer, now grown up, has not only thrown a challenge, but has virtually trampled on the opposition by winning his quarter-final and semi-final matches against renowned grandmasters, Mark Taimanov of USSR and the great Dane, Bent Larsen, with unprecedented 6-0 scores.
In the final, which should be his hardest test to date, he will meet the ex-world title-holder, Tigran Petrosian, considered as one of the chess giants of all time.
The chess world will hold its breath during the match and the general public will take a special interest because the match will have position undertones with the West at last seriously challenging the East on the chess board at any rate.
If Fischer wins as he is expected to do, he still has to overcome the final hurdle, the 24-game match against the holder, Boris Spassky.
