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Fischer/Spassky: The New York Times Report on the Chess Match of the Century
Discussions on the events leading up to the 1972 World Championship chess match and the personalities of Fischer and Spassky accompany descriptions of the twenty-one games played
218 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
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March 2, 2008
To be completely honest, I had no idea that the esteemed Mr. Fischer died about a week prior to my recent reading of this book (Jan 18, 2008); this information played absolutely no part in my second reading of this chronicle of the ‘legendary battle of wits’ fought on Icelandic soil for the World Chess Championship.
I was going to start the review with the completely accurate statement that Bobby Fischer is the biggest piece of sniveling $hit in the world. In observance of how unreasonably caustic or irreverent this might sound so close on the heels of his demise, I’d like to correct that proposal to ‘Bobby Fischer WAS the biggest piece of sniveling $hit in the world’. This isn’t entirely based on his well-known views; his declarations that Russians are a bunch of sneaky bastards, his rampant anti-semitism (despite his own obvious jewishness), his down-with-America diatribes of late while calling for the death of President Bush, his egomaniacal bumblef*ckery, the fact he has a child which he was stupid enough to bestow with the retarded name Jinky Ong (not a joke), his groveling to foreign embassies to evade extradition while on the lam…let’s face it, pretty much everything about the guy’s life was absolutely pathetic. But still, none of this matters much; what makes this guy sink to depths below that of fossilized trilobite $hit are his antics in the Chess Match Of The Century, which due to his completely childish and ridiculous behavior (calling nimrodery ‘eccentric’ is folly) became less of a Match Of The Century and more or less a complete frickin farce on par with the Billie Jean King/Bobby Riggs debacle.
Compiled of New York Times reporting on the match, the book offers some background before getting into the thick of the shenanigans. Iceland, which will become the site of the contest, is given a flattering introduction by some lady; including some historic details and a brief description of the present living conditions of its people. A second scribe reports his efforts to learn the fundamentals of the game to enable him to try covering the match; here the movement of the pieces, chess notation, and the general rules of the game are outlined, in an effort to impart the NY Times readership with the necessary knowledge to follow the forthcoming updates. And lastly, before delving into the thick of the greatest clusterf*ck ever to befall the game, the history of modern competitive chess is touched upon, with a chronology of the previous champions, some highlights on the formation of the International Chess Federation and their rules concerning candidate to challenge the reigning Champion and the rules for tournament play.
Minus the chessmen, the rest of the book centers on a rather small group of integral characters, all pulling towards their respective goals:
Bobby Fischer: The epitome of everything that could possibly be wrong with the human condition; allegedly, a decent chess player as well.
Boris Spassky: The strong, reserved, stoic, badass beset by the unbelievably moronic whims of Fischer and his financial backers.
Max Euwe: Former World Champion and head of the FIDE, the twisted regime in charge of the tournament that for some reason only encourages Fischer’s dunderheadedness (probably to promote the game with a ‘colorful’ iconic figure). For the record, Dr. Euwe is a brain-damaged imbecile, and throughout the story he confirms this slanderous opinion.
Lt. Colonel Edmund Edmonson: A complete and utter nincompoop that panders to every demand of the megalomaniacal Fischer. When you look at the actions taken by the ‘colonel’ you have to realize he must have earned his rank at the Colonel Sanders School of Military Inefficiency. Just hearing about him bend over backwards to accommodate Bobby and to obediently salivate like Fischer’s goddam lapdog is the most disgusting description of a human ever put to paper. Taking his nature into account as presented in this historic record, I can also only imagine this mollycoddling asslicker trying to negotiate with surrendering hostiles during his glory days as a Colonel.
Colonel Skidmark: “You are surrounded, throw down your firearms and come out with your hands up immediately!!”
Enemy: “Kiss my white honky ass. We’ll come out whenever the f*ck we want, and we’re going to keep our weapons so we can shove them up your flabby ass.”
Colonel Skidmark: “Allrighty then. But please don’t fire on our position when you finally decide to come out. And please lube the barrel of your gun prior to sodomizing my white ass.”
Enemy: “Blow me. You suck.”
This isn’t very promising. It’s even more disheartening that the military might have conferred some sort of officer rank upon this worthless piece of dik-dik dung.
Lastly, Lothar Schmid: The well-meaning referee that accomplishes little in trying to bring some semblance of righteousness to the match.
This about sums up the cast involved in perhaps the most misunderstood event in modern history, the type of thing that people refer to as some great event which, in reality, was about as disgusting as a post-Super Bowl bowel movement. While the event did bring chess into the spotlight for however brief a time, the disappointing fact that the game’s international regulating body allowed this contest to become such a fiasco should be generally disturbing to even the casual chess player. The sequence of events leading up to and during the Match are completely asinine, somehow the media was able to spin this in a positive light long enough to keep the public’s interest, but that’s probably due more to the appeal of failure on a grand scale than any subtle appreciation for the noble game. The current Champion, 32-year old Boris Spassky, a reporter from Leningrad, sits awaiting a challenger, to defend the title he won in 1969, and the selection process for a suitable opponent begins, as he must defend the title in 1972. Three long years of this arduous tournament process begins, and so does the silliness that pervades the rest of this account. Had Spassky played anyone else, the book would probably be able to be bound with a staple, however, Bobby Fischer’s meteoric rise in the chess world intervenes, causing this to become a certifiable saga.
At this point, all I can offer are the despicable events which follow and are sure to baffle all.
1) 1967, the hunt is on, to select a challenger for reigning Champion Tigran Petrosian. Bobby Fischer, displaying his usual brilliance, walks out during the Interzonal stage of play, demanding to be left in peace. All is still right with the world at this time, and they tournament continues, with Spassky eventually becoming the challenger and defeating Petrosian to become the new Champion in 1969.
2) Spassky can rest easy while the selection process begins anew; the first round in the selection process is the Zonal Tournaments, each Zone representing a geographic area. In Zone 5, the USA, the best are culled and put to the test. All but, you guessed it, Bobby Fischer, who apparently has been in seclusion jacking off goats since his last tantrum in ‘67.
3) With Zonal play in the US completed, Colonel Dingleberry steps in, declaring that the USA won’t be properly represented without Fischer, and embarks on a twofold mission: to convince Fischer to play again, and to get him enlisted in the Interzonal Tournament, despite that little detail that he failed to formally qualify.
4) After being presented a large enough bribe, the FIDE agrees to allow Fischer into the Interzonals so long as the guys who ranked 3rd through 8th in Zone 5 are willing to step side for Fischer. Again, after enough bribe money is collected and properly routed, these dudes all step down.
5) In Interzonal play (1970), Fischer handily defeats all opposition.
6) The Candidate Knockout Matches begin in 1971, and thus begins Fischer’s reign of childish terror. Prior to his match with Russian Candidate Mark Taimanov, Fischer boldly declares he will not play unless spectators are barred from the venue. The Russians state the obvious, that this concession would be completely contrary to international rules, and Taimanov should not be forced to play under altered conditions. With his head firmly up his ass, FIDE head Dr. Euwe declares that Taimanov will be replaced if he does not comply. The Russians state that they will completely withdraw if the FIDE is going to continue making provisions, but end up dropping this threat when it becomes apparent that Euwe is more concerned with Fischer’s eligibility than with the governing rules of his organization. Fischer wins 6 straight against the flustered Taimanov, a historic feat, completely crushing an opponent 6-0 at this level.
7) The Candidate Knockouts continue, with Fischer again sweeping his opponent 6-0. This time it is Danish grandmaster Bent Larsen who succumbs to ill health and the circus-like affairs.
8) Fischer finally suffers single-games defeats and settles for draws, but easily conquers Petrosian the former Champion that Spassky took the crown from. Fischer is now the Challenger to the throne.
9) During the tedious site-selection process, Fischer stipulates that he doesn’t want just his share of the purse, but a percent of the profits from the tournament as well. Belgrade abandons their offer of hosting half the match due to Fishers's ‘financial chicanery’
10) Iceland winds up with the burden of hosting the whole event in the aftermath. Fischer immediately complains that their resources to provide television coverage is inadequate, even though he’ll later demand the media leave anyway……
10) Wow, out of room already, before the match even starts. Believe me, it doesn't get any better. Bobby just keeps at it, making a mockery of the whole thing.
I was going to start the review with the completely accurate statement that Bobby Fischer is the biggest piece of sniveling $hit in the world. In observance of how unreasonably caustic or irreverent this might sound so close on the heels of his demise, I’d like to correct that proposal to ‘Bobby Fischer WAS the biggest piece of sniveling $hit in the world’. This isn’t entirely based on his well-known views; his declarations that Russians are a bunch of sneaky bastards, his rampant anti-semitism (despite his own obvious jewishness), his down-with-America diatribes of late while calling for the death of President Bush, his egomaniacal bumblef*ckery, the fact he has a child which he was stupid enough to bestow with the retarded name Jinky Ong (not a joke), his groveling to foreign embassies to evade extradition while on the lam…let’s face it, pretty much everything about the guy’s life was absolutely pathetic. But still, none of this matters much; what makes this guy sink to depths below that of fossilized trilobite $hit are his antics in the Chess Match Of The Century, which due to his completely childish and ridiculous behavior (calling nimrodery ‘eccentric’ is folly) became less of a Match Of The Century and more or less a complete frickin farce on par with the Billie Jean King/Bobby Riggs debacle.
Compiled of New York Times reporting on the match, the book offers some background before getting into the thick of the shenanigans. Iceland, which will become the site of the contest, is given a flattering introduction by some lady; including some historic details and a brief description of the present living conditions of its people. A second scribe reports his efforts to learn the fundamentals of the game to enable him to try covering the match; here the movement of the pieces, chess notation, and the general rules of the game are outlined, in an effort to impart the NY Times readership with the necessary knowledge to follow the forthcoming updates. And lastly, before delving into the thick of the greatest clusterf*ck ever to befall the game, the history of modern competitive chess is touched upon, with a chronology of the previous champions, some highlights on the formation of the International Chess Federation and their rules concerning candidate to challenge the reigning Champion and the rules for tournament play.
Minus the chessmen, the rest of the book centers on a rather small group of integral characters, all pulling towards their respective goals:
Bobby Fischer: The epitome of everything that could possibly be wrong with the human condition; allegedly, a decent chess player as well.
Boris Spassky: The strong, reserved, stoic, badass beset by the unbelievably moronic whims of Fischer and his financial backers.
Max Euwe: Former World Champion and head of the FIDE, the twisted regime in charge of the tournament that for some reason only encourages Fischer’s dunderheadedness (probably to promote the game with a ‘colorful’ iconic figure). For the record, Dr. Euwe is a brain-damaged imbecile, and throughout the story he confirms this slanderous opinion.
Lt. Colonel Edmund Edmonson: A complete and utter nincompoop that panders to every demand of the megalomaniacal Fischer. When you look at the actions taken by the ‘colonel’ you have to realize he must have earned his rank at the Colonel Sanders School of Military Inefficiency. Just hearing about him bend over backwards to accommodate Bobby and to obediently salivate like Fischer’s goddam lapdog is the most disgusting description of a human ever put to paper. Taking his nature into account as presented in this historic record, I can also only imagine this mollycoddling asslicker trying to negotiate with surrendering hostiles during his glory days as a Colonel.
Colonel Skidmark: “You are surrounded, throw down your firearms and come out with your hands up immediately!!”
Enemy: “Kiss my white honky ass. We’ll come out whenever the f*ck we want, and we’re going to keep our weapons so we can shove them up your flabby ass.”
Colonel Skidmark: “Allrighty then. But please don’t fire on our position when you finally decide to come out. And please lube the barrel of your gun prior to sodomizing my white ass.”
Enemy: “Blow me. You suck.”
This isn’t very promising. It’s even more disheartening that the military might have conferred some sort of officer rank upon this worthless piece of dik-dik dung.
Lastly, Lothar Schmid: The well-meaning referee that accomplishes little in trying to bring some semblance of righteousness to the match.
This about sums up the cast involved in perhaps the most misunderstood event in modern history, the type of thing that people refer to as some great event which, in reality, was about as disgusting as a post-Super Bowl bowel movement. While the event did bring chess into the spotlight for however brief a time, the disappointing fact that the game’s international regulating body allowed this contest to become such a fiasco should be generally disturbing to even the casual chess player. The sequence of events leading up to and during the Match are completely asinine, somehow the media was able to spin this in a positive light long enough to keep the public’s interest, but that’s probably due more to the appeal of failure on a grand scale than any subtle appreciation for the noble game. The current Champion, 32-year old Boris Spassky, a reporter from Leningrad, sits awaiting a challenger, to defend the title he won in 1969, and the selection process for a suitable opponent begins, as he must defend the title in 1972. Three long years of this arduous tournament process begins, and so does the silliness that pervades the rest of this account. Had Spassky played anyone else, the book would probably be able to be bound with a staple, however, Bobby Fischer’s meteoric rise in the chess world intervenes, causing this to become a certifiable saga.
At this point, all I can offer are the despicable events which follow and are sure to baffle all.
1) 1967, the hunt is on, to select a challenger for reigning Champion Tigran Petrosian. Bobby Fischer, displaying his usual brilliance, walks out during the Interzonal stage of play, demanding to be left in peace. All is still right with the world at this time, and they tournament continues, with Spassky eventually becoming the challenger and defeating Petrosian to become the new Champion in 1969.
2) Spassky can rest easy while the selection process begins anew; the first round in the selection process is the Zonal Tournaments, each Zone representing a geographic area. In Zone 5, the USA, the best are culled and put to the test. All but, you guessed it, Bobby Fischer, who apparently has been in seclusion jacking off goats since his last tantrum in ‘67.
3) With Zonal play in the US completed, Colonel Dingleberry steps in, declaring that the USA won’t be properly represented without Fischer, and embarks on a twofold mission: to convince Fischer to play again, and to get him enlisted in the Interzonal Tournament, despite that little detail that he failed to formally qualify.
4) After being presented a large enough bribe, the FIDE agrees to allow Fischer into the Interzonals so long as the guys who ranked 3rd through 8th in Zone 5 are willing to step side for Fischer. Again, after enough bribe money is collected and properly routed, these dudes all step down.
5) In Interzonal play (1970), Fischer handily defeats all opposition.
6) The Candidate Knockout Matches begin in 1971, and thus begins Fischer’s reign of childish terror. Prior to his match with Russian Candidate Mark Taimanov, Fischer boldly declares he will not play unless spectators are barred from the venue. The Russians state the obvious, that this concession would be completely contrary to international rules, and Taimanov should not be forced to play under altered conditions. With his head firmly up his ass, FIDE head Dr. Euwe declares that Taimanov will be replaced if he does not comply. The Russians state that they will completely withdraw if the FIDE is going to continue making provisions, but end up dropping this threat when it becomes apparent that Euwe is more concerned with Fischer’s eligibility than with the governing rules of his organization. Fischer wins 6 straight against the flustered Taimanov, a historic feat, completely crushing an opponent 6-0 at this level.
7) The Candidate Knockouts continue, with Fischer again sweeping his opponent 6-0. This time it is Danish grandmaster Bent Larsen who succumbs to ill health and the circus-like affairs.
8) Fischer finally suffers single-games defeats and settles for draws, but easily conquers Petrosian the former Champion that Spassky took the crown from. Fischer is now the Challenger to the throne.
9) During the tedious site-selection process, Fischer stipulates that he doesn’t want just his share of the purse, but a percent of the profits from the tournament as well. Belgrade abandons their offer of hosting half the match due to Fishers's ‘financial chicanery’
10) Iceland winds up with the burden of hosting the whole event in the aftermath. Fischer immediately complains that their resources to provide television coverage is inadequate, even though he’ll later demand the media leave anyway……
10) Wow, out of room already, before the match even starts. Believe me, it doesn't get any better. Bobby just keeps at it, making a mockery of the whole thing.
November 10, 2007
You know what? Four stars. Not five maybe just because some A-hole scribbled in my margins. But this book surprised me. Of course you know the story of the on- and off-stage near-high-school-year-book-committee grade tantrum-throwing and eventual triumph of the eccentric American over the Communist blah blah blah. Fischer's weird virtuosity and Spassky's stoicism as well as the deep history and rugged physical beauty of the match's Icelandic setting give writers free rein to unleash their full metaphoric and melodramatic arsenal. Yes, there's a lot of 34 R-Q5ch K-K3 35 RxPch K-K2 and suchlike until 37 R-QB6!! and Black resigns!!!
January 3, 2012
This book was published shortly after the Fischer-Spassky world championship match in Reykjavik was won by Bobby Fischer on September 1, 1972. It is a very interesting summary, covering everything from the basic rules of chess, to Fischer's unbelievable progression through the elimination tournaments (during which he won 20 straight games against some of the world's top grandmasters, with not even a single draw), to the personalities of the players and the incredible shenanigans of Fischer leading up to the actual match. The journalism is excellent throughout, including the long Introduction in which the author relates how he was given instruction in chess (of which he knew next to nothing) prior to commencing the assignment in Iceland. (Since the book was published in 1972, there was no way of the author knowing that Fischer, true to his extreme anti-social personality, would never defend his title, and slowly lapse into semi-obscurity.)
The commentaries on the games are not quite as good, simply because of the format chosen. (Apparently the commentaries were done by Al Horowitz and Sammy Reshevsky, though that is not made clear in the text.) The main problem is that the commentaries (with perhaps a scant diagram or two) precede the notation given for the move-by-move description, rather than being integrated into the moves. This makes the commentaries hard to follow.
The book can be read by a non-chess player very easily, by leaving aside the last section of the book containing the game commentaries. (The more interesting game by game report of the match is presented prior to that section.)
Finally, the book contains a beautiful Forward by Katharine Scherman on the country of Iceland. This alone makes the book worth a glance if you ever have a chance, and made me add Iceland to my list of places to see. (Scherman produced a book on Iceland a few years later called Daughter of Fire: A Portrait of Iceland, now out of print but readily available.)
The commentaries on the games are not quite as good, simply because of the format chosen. (Apparently the commentaries were done by Al Horowitz and Sammy Reshevsky, though that is not made clear in the text.) The main problem is that the commentaries (with perhaps a scant diagram or two) precede the notation given for the move-by-move description, rather than being integrated into the moves. This makes the commentaries hard to follow.
The book can be read by a non-chess player very easily, by leaving aside the last section of the book containing the game commentaries. (The more interesting game by game report of the match is presented prior to that section.)
Finally, the book contains a beautiful Forward by Katharine Scherman on the country of Iceland. This alone makes the book worth a glance if you ever have a chance, and made me add Iceland to my list of places to see. (Scherman produced a book on Iceland a few years later called Daughter of Fire: A Portrait of Iceland, now out of print but readily available.)
January 14, 2016
A few evenings ago, we watched "Pawn Sacrifice", Toby Maguirre's nice movie account of the 1971 Fischer-Spassky match in Iceland. The movie sent me to my book shelves where I located an old copy of the NY Times book on the match. It's a fun book--and eclectic in ways that I suspect only books can be, mixing sections on the rules of chess and the history and culture of Iceland with reportage on the rivals and their camps and analyses of the actual games. I enjoyed rereading it, and in doing so, remembering being 14, and following the match as it played out both on the board and the world stage.
November 5, 2016
Great coverage of the cold war, players and negotiation efforts to host the World Championship.
Good description of matches but inadequate presentation considering these were games that lasted 30-50 moves and are only covered by 1 or 2 diagrams each.
Good description of matches but inadequate presentation considering these were games that lasted 30-50 moves and are only covered by 1 or 2 diagrams each.
November 13, 2024
by Richard Roberts with Harold C. Schonberg, Al Horowitz & Samuel Reshevsky
Bantam Sept 1972 198 pg
10 pg forward by Katherine Scherman of very interesting facts about the country of Iceland, its history, geography, etc.
18 page introduction. The newspaper/press coverage of this event and basics of the game.
Part one. Background, Timeline, competitors, personalities, their assistants and their advisors, Fischer’s DEMANDS.
Part Two. The games. Complete step-by-step details of all 21 games in the competition with moves and diagrams. These would be of interest primarily to chess players/fans. For general readers the interest consists mainly in the history and politics of the era and could be skipped or skimmed.
Part Three. Conclusion. The authors provide their conclusion of the outcome of this match of the century and of how they feel it transformed the future of chess giving the game the prestige, prominence, attention, and financial aid it deserves. Appendix A: Formal Rules. Appendix B: Special Rules.
Bantam Sept 1972 198 pg
10 pg forward by Katherine Scherman of very interesting facts about the country of Iceland, its history, geography, etc.
18 page introduction. The newspaper/press coverage of this event and basics of the game.
Part one. Background, Timeline, competitors, personalities, their assistants and their advisors, Fischer’s DEMANDS.
Part Two. The games. Complete step-by-step details of all 21 games in the competition with moves and diagrams. These would be of interest primarily to chess players/fans. For general readers the interest consists mainly in the history and politics of the era and could be skipped or skimmed.
Part Three. Conclusion. The authors provide their conclusion of the outcome of this match of the century and of how they feel it transformed the future of chess giving the game the prestige, prominence, attention, and financial aid it deserves. Appendix A: Formal Rules. Appendix B: Special Rules.
April 3, 2019
Very enjoyable. Gave a good summary of the rules of chess and simple strategy which played nicely into the documentary style overview of a special match that is probably not talked about enough. I found this book at my parents house- it was my dads old original copy and I can see why he always had a chess board lying around the house. This book makes you want to appreciate the game at a minimum.
November 19, 2017
Heartfelt 107 page recap of the eponymous "Chess Match of the Century" by Roberts. Fischer, the mad genius,' "temperamental, almost—some say—boorish behavior" is quite entertaining. A foreward on host country Iceland sets the stage.
The game by game commentary is inadequate with a dated annotation style, but I didn't deduct a star because you can simply skip this section.
The game by game commentary is inadequate with a dated annotation style, but I didn't deduct a star because you can simply skip this section.
February 3, 2023
Nice overview and backstory to probably the greatest chess championship match that has taken place so far.
June 2, 2022
Een periode die ik persoonlijk niet heb beleefd, de koude oorlog, is de setting van deze wonderlijke krachtmeting. Grootmachten vaardigen de twee absolute grootmeesters af om op het vredige IJsland de strijd aan te gaan. Mijn sympathie ging in het begin uit naar Fisher maar dat veranderde naar mate het verhaal zich in dit boek verder tot leven kwam. De oorlog was koud vooral op IJsland.
Het leuke aan dit boek is dat je ook de wedstrijden na kunt spelen zet voor zet, met daarbij commentaar van de kundige volgers.
Het leuke aan dit boek is dat je ook de wedstrijden na kunt spelen zet voor zet, met daarbij commentaar van de kundige volgers.
March 21, 2010
Remember the world championship chess match between Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer? Seems like so long ago! From the early 1970s, this match featured an American becoming champion.
This book discusses the background to the match (including discussion over the chessboard itself) to the games themselves. Two appendices are includes--one the stamndard rules for a world championship match and special rules created for Spassky versus Fischer.
A trip back in time! Lots of fun to revisit this event. . . .
This book discusses the background to the match (including discussion over the chessboard itself) to the games themselves. Two appendices are includes--one the stamndard rules for a world championship match and special rules created for Spassky versus Fischer.
A trip back in time! Lots of fun to revisit this event. . . .
September 8, 2010
For chess nerds and chess nerd wannabes. Like me.
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December 29, 2012I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11545796
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11545796
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews