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Fischer - Spassky Game 5, 1972 WCH (E41)

After losing the first game which he could've easily drawn and forfeiting the second game things looked grim for Bobby. He needed 12 pts out of the remaining 22 games to win the match while Boris only needed 10 pts to tie 12-12 and retain the title. At first he was even preparing to go home but maybe a phone call from Secretary of State Henry Kissinger urging him to continue the match helped change his mind. At any rate he drew the 4th game and won the 5th (shown below) tying up the match at 2.5 - 2.5 after being down 0.5 - 2.0. What a guy!

Halldor Petursson of Iceland drew 18 cartoons of the match for a local newspaper. In this one a hapless Chester Fox, who bought the TV rights to the match (far left) is being lanced by Fischer while a nonplussed Spassky looks on. GM Lombardy, Fischer's second, can be seen in the lower right while Fischer's lawyer Fred Kramer (wearing glasses) points to Spassky, apparently trying to tell Fischer who he's supposed to be fighting. Match arbiter GM Schmidt can be seen in the stands, wearing sunglasses. FIDE President Max Euwe is standing to his left, can anyone ID the other 4 men in this cartoon?

http://www.dos.is/chess/3_halldor_postcards.html

 



Comments


  • 5 months ago

    Reshevskys_Revenge

    Nimzo - I followed the match in the media in 1972.  I think Gudmundur Arnlaugsson (A R N L A U G S S O N - I think it's spelled) is on the right side as you view the drawing.  The drawings are so small, but he is a thin man.  He won the Icelandic Championship in 1949.  GM Sir Harry Golombec (FIDE Official) is probably the gentleman on the left of Max, since he was there as an official.  You seem to be a Fischer fan.  I do like Bobby (I drink from my Bobby Fischer mug when I play.)  It reads "I like the moment when I break a man's ego" - bobby fischer.  But I am partial to Sammy Reshevsky. I took some instruction from Sammy, and as you know, there was bad, bad blood between Bobby and Sammy.

  • 5 months ago

    NimzoRoy

    Thanks RR - BUT - just to show you some people are never satisfied - In the tent is Schmid (wearing sunglasses, pointing down) On his right is Dr Euwe (one arm raised). This leaves the two men on far left and right - which one is Amalugsson and who is the 4th man?

    At any rate I knew everyone here was someone important and I'm impressed that you could ID the others - you must know some chess history here.

  • 5 months ago

    Reshevskys_Revenge

    I had to zoom in on the picture but - The gentleman at the far right, standing on the ground, is Fredrik Olafsson - Icelandic Grandmaster.  Next to him, jumping up, is Gudmundur Thorarinsson - President of the Icelandic Chess Federation.  And the other two men in the FIDE Tent are Lothar Schmid - Chief Referee and Gudmundur Arnalugsson - Assistant Referee. 

  • 5 months ago

    plutonia

    I found it interesting that Fisher didn't mind giving his opponent a protected passer.

    As beginners we learn that they are extremely powerful, then we understand that dynamic features of the position can be more important (i.e. black will never trade down to a King & pawn ending)

  • 5 months ago

    ori0

    Great game thanks Roy. I have a question for you i'll talk to you in privet. Have a nice week!

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