Bobby Fischer becomes the first American to win the World Chess Championship
On September 1 1972 in whats billed as the Match of the Century American chess grandmaster Bobby Fischer defeats Russian Boris Spassky during the World Chess Championship in Reykjavik Iceland.In the worlds most publicized title match ever played Fischer a 29-year-old Brooklynite became the first American to win the competition since its inception in 1866.The victory also marked the first time a non-Russian had won the event in 24 years.Fischer who started playing chess professionally at age 8 won the U.S.
Open Championship when he was 14 (he would go on to win it seven more times) and became the worlds youngest international grandmaster at age 15.Fischers skills and ageand demanding arrogant attitudemade him a pop culture phenomenon.He became the subject of books and movies and even inspired a song The Ballad of Bobby Fischer.
Played during the Cold War the Reykjavik match also carried political undertones.Fischer had already accused the Soviets of rigging the tournament system and didnt mince words in his feelings about them saying the match was really the free world against the lying cheating hypocritical Russians They always suggest that the worlds leaders should fight it out hand to hand.And that is the kind of thing we are doing.Fischer missed the competitions July 1 opening ceremony after demanding more money as well as a cut of TV and film rights.
After a two-day delayand a doubling of the prize purse by British millionaire Jim SlaterFischer finally showed.A call from Henry Kissinger national security assistant for President Nixon at the time may have helped persuade him to compete as well.America wants you to go over there to beat the Russians he reportedly told Fischer.
Fischer is known to be graceless rude possibly insane financier Slater once said.I really dont worry about that because I didnt do it for that reason.I did it because he was going to challenge the Russian supremacy and it was good for chess.Spassky took the first game (Fischer blamed the TV cameras and ordered them to be removed).
Fischer then forfeited the second game after some of his other demands werent met.Following much quarreling the match resumed July 16 with a win by Fischer.Over 21 games Fischer won seven Spassky won three and 11 were draws.
Spassky resigned after 40 moves on the 21st game via telephone with the final score set at 12.5 to 8.5 Fischer took home 156250 in prize money for the feat while the Soviet grandmaster Spassky who was 35 and the reigning world champion earned 93750.Fischer lost his world title by forfeit in 1975 when he refused to play against Soviet Anatoly Karpov in Manila after the competitions governing body failed to meet all his demands.
