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Fischer Vs. Spassky: World Chess Championship Match, 1972
1972 pb, VG ins in pb cvrs
- GenresChessNonfictionGames
127 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 29, 2016
"Throughout its centuries long history, chess has been the game of a tiny minority of mankind. Now, strange things have happened within a few weeks. This incredible match and the even more incredible Fischer have made the whole world read about chess."
The "Chess Match of the Century" took place in summer of 1972 but my fascination with Robert James Fischer ("Bobby Fisher", in short) had begun much earlier. On September 10, 1962, Fischer participated in the Poland vs. USA chess match in Warsaw, and I, an eleven-year-old schoolboy, member of my school chess club, watched the handsome, devilishly smart, well-dressed young American man - so unlike the drab, grim, gray Soviet-style role models - play chess in Dom Chłopa (A Farmer's House) and winning his game against the Polish champion, Bogdan Śliwa. Since that moment, 54 years ago, I have been interested in world chess, although I stopped playing when still in grade school, having realized I did not have any talent. But I followed almost the entire trajectory of Fischer's career, which to me began with the Candidates' Tournament at Curacao in 1962, peaked during the unforgettable summer of 1972, and then gradually declined into reclusion and quasi-insanity that ended in 2008 when the quite possibly best chess player ever died in exile in Iceland.
In his short book Fischer v Spassky (1972) the famous chess grandmaster Svetozar Gligorić gives the background of this most important chess match of the 20th century as well as an account of the insanely complicated process of preparations and the equally unusual dynamics of the match itself. The colossal importance of the match was that it broke the Soviet domination of chess. Players from the Soviet empire had been continuously holding the world championship title between 1948 and 1972, and since the very beginning of his career Bobby Fischer had felt that his life mission was to "wrangle the chess crown from the Russians," as he incorrectly called the Soviet players. Mr. Gligorić provides astute psychological portraits of the opponents: he contrasts Boris Spassky, the reigning world champion, an urbane, highly-cultured man of many interests with the singularly driven Fischer, for whom life was chess, chess was life, and nothing else mattered.
After the protracted negotiations about the venue of the match between the Americans and the Soviets had ended with the Reykjavik, Iceland, compromise Fischer continued the fight to ensure a bigger cut of the match money for himself. There was a moment - the preparations for the match were already complete - when it became almost certain that the match will be cancelled. Luckily, a rich British chess sponsor, James Slater, saved the event by adding a substantial amount of his own money to the prize fund.
The extraordinary process of pre-match negotiations was totally surpassed in its bizarreness by the dynamic of the match itself. In the very first game, Fischer committed perhaps the greatest blunder of his career and lost. He lost the second game by forfeit because he did not show up at the chessboard complaining about the presence of TV cameras, noises from the audience, etc. Normally, a 2:0 lead after two games should be enough for Spassky to retain his crown. However, Fischer was able to prove that he indeed must be considered one of the very best players of all time, when in the remaining 19 games he destroyed Spassky 12.5:6.5. Yet, while demonstrating his absolute chess brilliance, Fischer continued to complain about the conditions of the match and made new and new demands. This led to such bizarre events as testing the players' chairs to make sure they are not used to carry poison and dismantling the "105 glass plates of the huge lighting canopy over the stage," which produced only two dead flies. Perhaps the most hilarious moment came when the Icelandic Chess Federation issued a declaration that "it was not its intention to sue Mr. Robert Fischer."
Of course, grandmaster Gligorić, one of the world's strongest chess players in the 1950s and 1960s, explains every single of the 21 games played between Fischer and Spassky with his own detailed annotations, but that part of the text will appeal only to chess experts.
Overall, while the book is a worthy read, it could be much better. I understand that the speed of coming out with the book was the primary consideration for the publisher: the match ended in August and the book was printed in September, which undoubtedly is why the coverage feels a bit sketchy and the book reads as the series of reports for a daily paper rather than a consistent whole. In fact, I am still waiting for a definitive biography of Robert James Fischer.
Three stars.
The "Chess Match of the Century" took place in summer of 1972 but my fascination with Robert James Fischer ("Bobby Fisher", in short) had begun much earlier. On September 10, 1962, Fischer participated in the Poland vs. USA chess match in Warsaw, and I, an eleven-year-old schoolboy, member of my school chess club, watched the handsome, devilishly smart, well-dressed young American man - so unlike the drab, grim, gray Soviet-style role models - play chess in Dom Chłopa (A Farmer's House) and winning his game against the Polish champion, Bogdan Śliwa. Since that moment, 54 years ago, I have been interested in world chess, although I stopped playing when still in grade school, having realized I did not have any talent. But I followed almost the entire trajectory of Fischer's career, which to me began with the Candidates' Tournament at Curacao in 1962, peaked during the unforgettable summer of 1972, and then gradually declined into reclusion and quasi-insanity that ended in 2008 when the quite possibly best chess player ever died in exile in Iceland.
In his short book Fischer v Spassky (1972) the famous chess grandmaster Svetozar Gligorić gives the background of this most important chess match of the 20th century as well as an account of the insanely complicated process of preparations and the equally unusual dynamics of the match itself. The colossal importance of the match was that it broke the Soviet domination of chess. Players from the Soviet empire had been continuously holding the world championship title between 1948 and 1972, and since the very beginning of his career Bobby Fischer had felt that his life mission was to "wrangle the chess crown from the Russians," as he incorrectly called the Soviet players. Mr. Gligorić provides astute psychological portraits of the opponents: he contrasts Boris Spassky, the reigning world champion, an urbane, highly-cultured man of many interests with the singularly driven Fischer, for whom life was chess, chess was life, and nothing else mattered.
After the protracted negotiations about the venue of the match between the Americans and the Soviets had ended with the Reykjavik, Iceland, compromise Fischer continued the fight to ensure a bigger cut of the match money for himself. There was a moment - the preparations for the match were already complete - when it became almost certain that the match will be cancelled. Luckily, a rich British chess sponsor, James Slater, saved the event by adding a substantial amount of his own money to the prize fund.
The extraordinary process of pre-match negotiations was totally surpassed in its bizarreness by the dynamic of the match itself. In the very first game, Fischer committed perhaps the greatest blunder of his career and lost. He lost the second game by forfeit because he did not show up at the chessboard complaining about the presence of TV cameras, noises from the audience, etc. Normally, a 2:0 lead after two games should be enough for Spassky to retain his crown. However, Fischer was able to prove that he indeed must be considered one of the very best players of all time, when in the remaining 19 games he destroyed Spassky 12.5:6.5. Yet, while demonstrating his absolute chess brilliance, Fischer continued to complain about the conditions of the match and made new and new demands. This led to such bizarre events as testing the players' chairs to make sure they are not used to carry poison and dismantling the "105 glass plates of the huge lighting canopy over the stage," which produced only two dead flies. Perhaps the most hilarious moment came when the Icelandic Chess Federation issued a declaration that "it was not its intention to sue Mr. Robert Fischer."
Of course, grandmaster Gligorić, one of the world's strongest chess players in the 1950s and 1960s, explains every single of the 21 games played between Fischer and Spassky with his own detailed annotations, but that part of the text will appeal only to chess experts.
Overall, while the book is a worthy read, it could be much better. I understand that the speed of coming out with the book was the primary consideration for the publisher: the match ended in August and the book was printed in September, which undoubtedly is why the coverage feels a bit sketchy and the book reads as the series of reports for a daily paper rather than a consistent whole. In fact, I am still waiting for a definitive biography of Robert James Fischer.
Three stars.
November 8, 2022
I bought this book because it was described as having the best analysis and annotations of any book on the 1972 Fischer-Spassky tournament. It did not disappoint.
I used the book to replay every move of every game. The analysis of the games and alternative lines was excellent although perhaps a bit more in-depth than I cared to read at times.
The commentary of background and what was going on off-the-board was really interesting too. I would recommend this book for series chess players, casual chess players or anything curious about the tournament.
Finally, I would have preferred algebraic notation over descriptive, but descriptive was the notation standard at the time of the tournament and the book's writing. I am fairly inexperienced with using descriptive notation but it was surprisingly easy to follow.
I used the book to replay every move of every game. The analysis of the games and alternative lines was excellent although perhaps a bit more in-depth than I cared to read at times.
The commentary of background and what was going on off-the-board was really interesting too. I would recommend this book for series chess players, casual chess players or anything curious about the tournament.
Finally, I would have preferred algebraic notation over descriptive, but descriptive was the notation standard at the time of the tournament and the book's writing. I am fairly inexperienced with using descriptive notation but it was surprisingly easy to follow.
December 15, 2018
One of my all-time favorite chess books. I have probably read this at least fifty times and played through some of these games more than that.
April 19, 2023
It was pretty good, I recommend the other books on Fischer though more. It’s good if you want just the games focused on and the moves and all that. If you’re into chess games then you’ll like this but if you want the history maybe skip this. I wanted both and got only one really but it was still good because I do like chess.
3.5/5
3.5/5
July 30, 2019
I am not the best at following written chess moves, especially just in my mind. But Gligorich does a great job in explaining the importance of the moves and providing a compelling narrative connecting each game. I really enjoyed this.
June 6, 2008
Bobby Fischer versus Boris Spassky……This Match in Reykjavik, Iceland in 1972 had the sustained electrifying drama of the Olympics, Seabiscuit vs War Admiral, Ali vs Frazier, The World Series, Grand Slam Tennis, Super bowl, you name it, plus the Cold War and Détente thrown in.
Boris Spassky, a Russian – the Russians over the years maintained a monopoly on Chess Championships -- was the reigning World Chess Champion and had previously played Fischer 5 times wining 3 and drawing twice. The format for this contest, however, was to be 24 games or the first player to 12 ½ points. A win counting 1 point to the winner, nothing to the loser and a draw a ½ point to each.
Bobby Fischer was a pure eccentric. He possessed an indomitable spirit, was reckless, brash, practiced one upmanship at any opportunity and was generally uncontrollable. He considered himself then, as he undoubtedly was considered later, to be the best chess player to have ever played the game. His charisma and flair drew world wide attention to Chess like no one before him or since. His daily clashes and demands with the Organizers, the media, such as it was then and anyone else nearly brought the match crashing down as each game approached; no one really knew if the days game would even be played. I was on the edge of my seat scraping for news of the Match as the rest of the world was too -- no Internet mind you, cable etc -- but newspaper coverage was extensive and there was even coverage on public television with commentary and analysis.
Fischer lost the first game and in a fit of pique forfeited the 2nd game. Now down 2-0 he came roaring back; won a total of 7 games outright -- 4 with Black Pieces!!!!! including the last and 21st game -- while Spassky could only manage 2 outright wins. Fischer won 12 ½ to 8 ½ and became the 11th World Chess Champion and the only American to ever win it.
In 1975 he was stripped of his Title for non defense. In 1992, after a 20 year competition layoff, he again met Spassky in the Rematch of the Century and won again; 10 wins 5 losses and 15 ties but now was a fugitive for violating US and UN sanctions for engaging in economic activities in what was then Yugoslavia. For the remainder of his life he feared extradition and never returned to the United States and after 9-11 made derogatory and inflammatory remarks about the US and Israel. Fischer had a brilliant mind for Chess, was severely outspoken and I rather think a decent guy but later in life a little deranged perhaps. Even before this match he stated that Americans would rather “sit in front of a TV instead of reading a book” He was right! And I feel something should have been done while he was still alive to heal the breach between him and this country. Henry Kissinger was a strong supporter of his back in 1972.
I am overrating this book I’m sure and there are probably better ones but this author was a contemporary and played against both players.
Boris Spassky, a Russian – the Russians over the years maintained a monopoly on Chess Championships -- was the reigning World Chess Champion and had previously played Fischer 5 times wining 3 and drawing twice. The format for this contest, however, was to be 24 games or the first player to 12 ½ points. A win counting 1 point to the winner, nothing to the loser and a draw a ½ point to each.
Bobby Fischer was a pure eccentric. He possessed an indomitable spirit, was reckless, brash, practiced one upmanship at any opportunity and was generally uncontrollable. He considered himself then, as he undoubtedly was considered later, to be the best chess player to have ever played the game. His charisma and flair drew world wide attention to Chess like no one before him or since. His daily clashes and demands with the Organizers, the media, such as it was then and anyone else nearly brought the match crashing down as each game approached; no one really knew if the days game would even be played. I was on the edge of my seat scraping for news of the Match as the rest of the world was too -- no Internet mind you, cable etc -- but newspaper coverage was extensive and there was even coverage on public television with commentary and analysis.
Fischer lost the first game and in a fit of pique forfeited the 2nd game. Now down 2-0 he came roaring back; won a total of 7 games outright -- 4 with Black Pieces!!!!! including the last and 21st game -- while Spassky could only manage 2 outright wins. Fischer won 12 ½ to 8 ½ and became the 11th World Chess Champion and the only American to ever win it.
In 1975 he was stripped of his Title for non defense. In 1992, after a 20 year competition layoff, he again met Spassky in the Rematch of the Century and won again; 10 wins 5 losses and 15 ties but now was a fugitive for violating US and UN sanctions for engaging in economic activities in what was then Yugoslavia. For the remainder of his life he feared extradition and never returned to the United States and after 9-11 made derogatory and inflammatory remarks about the US and Israel. Fischer had a brilliant mind for Chess, was severely outspoken and I rather think a decent guy but later in life a little deranged perhaps. Even before this match he stated that Americans would rather “sit in front of a TV instead of reading a book” He was right! And I feel something should have been done while he was still alive to heal the breach between him and this country. Henry Kissinger was a strong supporter of his back in 1972.
I am overrating this book I’m sure and there are probably better ones but this author was a contemporary and played against both players.
Want to Read
January 28, 2010The games of the tournament, annotated with introduction. 1972 publication--turning brown fast.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews