Surprised Spassky loses advantage

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33004, 25 August 1972, Page 18

Surprised Spassky loses advantage

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) REYKJAVIK. With B. Spassky staring in wide-eyed surprise, R. J. Fischer gained a draw in the seventeenth game of the world chess championship yesterday by invoking a rule that prevents a player from making the same move three times in a game, United Press International reported.

Taking advantage of Spassky’s blunder, Fischer earned another half-point and moved within 2J points of becoming the first American world chess champion. Ironically, Spassky was said to have ’’winning chances" in the game, which had been adjourned from the previous evening and bad been resumed in his advantage. FISCHER DEMANDED Fischer now has 10 points, Spassky seven, and the Russian is left with the almost hopeless task of winning five points from the last seven games to retain his title. One rule of international

chess stipulates that if the same position occurs three times during a game with the same player to move, the

game shall be declared a draw if his opponent demands it. And Fischer did, after his forty-fifth move. A reporter for Tass News Agency, standing in the corridor, looked bewildered. “I don’t understand it,” he said. “Geller (the Soviet grand master, E. Geller) told me just before the match resumed that Spassky had excellent chances even if it would be a long, hard fight.”

The final moves were (Spassky playing white):

41: R(KB2MJB3, P-KKU. 43: R-81, H-K7. 43: R(Rl>-82, R-KB. 44: R-81, R-K7. 45: R(B1>-B2, drawn.

Flayer award.—Sydney's Western Suburbs Rugby league team's test half-back, T. Raudonlkis, has won this year's “best and fairest” award.