world chess championship match challenger united_states defending champion soviet_union match took place arena iceland dubbed match century fischer american born united_states win world title second american overall world champion american citizen fischer win ended short time years soviet domination world championship game played july game began august moves resigned day resuming play fischer won match eleventh undisputed commented global significance match saying think reason look matches probably chess factor political element inevitable soviet_union chess treated soviet authorities important useful ideological tool demonstrate intellectual superiority soviet communist regime west defeat treated people sides atlantic crushing moment midst cold war background match played cold war period increasing long held monopoly game highest level latest chain soviet world chess champions stretching championship fischer eccentric year old american vocal critic soviet domination chess believed soviet players gained unfair advantage agreeing short draws tournaments august sports_illustrated october german magazine published famous article fischer russians fixed world chess view fischer rarely agreed early draws unclear positions expectations enormous soviets chess political system fischer famously critical home country americans want don want open book carried burden expectation political significance match american achieved world championship champion american citizen excitement surrounding match called match century term applied ussr rest world match years champion lost world championship match won matches win right challenge title time winning said universal style involving ability play varied types positions notes childhood clearly leaning sharp attacking play possessed splendid feel initiative match fischer played games draws winning candidates matches route challenger fischer demolished world class perfect score feat accomplished candidates match fischer split games match world champion closed match winning games bare statement conveys magnitude impact results fischer devastation seven rounds game fischer won consecutive games nearly fischer higher rating july rating list record points ahead number player rating fischer recent results record rating pre match favorite observers noted fischer won game seconds match fischer second entourage included lawyer play significant role events surrounding match representative match referee time doubtful match played shortly match fischer demanded players receive addition agreed prize fund winner loser proceeds television film rights box office receipts failed arrive iceland opening ceremony july fischer behavior seemingly contradictions career finally flew iceland agreed play day match president surprise doubling prize fund british investment banker including phone fischer commentators particularly ussr suggested continuing demands fischer plan fischer supporters winning world championship mission life simply wanted setting perfect took stage behavior world class match play series games opponents involves players preparing openings deeply playing repeatedly match preparation match involves analysis opening lines known played opponent fischer famous unusually narrow opening repertoire example invariably playing white playing defence black surprised repeatedly switching openings playing openings rarely played white defence black openings fischer played match continually variations previously played repeating line twice match tournament tournament held spain november december players shown bold table qualified originally play event participated championship reserve gave spot president allowed fischer participate instead compensation paid occur contested game playoff yugoslavia early reserve position match ended declared winner better tie break score main tournament candidates tournament loser championship match runner previous candidates final seeded directly tournament joined fischer victory earned right challenge reigning champion title world championship match schedule results match played best games wins counting point draws counting point end players scored points match ended tie defending champion retain title time control moves hours games week scheduled player entitled medical reasons match games scheduled start sunday tuesday thursday game continued day saturday rest day fischer insisted chess set london remade fischer request match covered world fischer worldwide celebrity described hitler chess hotel received dozens calls day women attracted fischer enjoyed reading numerous letters arrived criticisms excitement grew match postponed people questioned fischer appear previously come airport surrounded reporters left combination play american versus russian created excitement world games game fischer indian opening game series piece exchanges position reached appeared dead drawn ending remotely surprised players agreed draw fischer played players consider light obvious trapping bishop exchange lost bishop black able obtain chess piece relative value commentators suggested fischer having planned overlooking keeps bishop trapped suggested afraid fischer wanted draw white pieces fischer wanted game headed draw owing unusual features position fischer good drawing chances despite having bishop position hopeless bad took place fischer drawn game correct 39th 40th resigned fischer game game fischer following loss fischer demands organizers including cameras removed refused appear game giving default win appeal rejected speculates game actually fischer designed specifically upset score favor observers believed match fischer leave iceland fischer looked board plane iceland second decision stay match attributed phone fischer owing sporting spirit respect sympathy fischer agreed play game small room backstage sight spectators according concession psychological mistake game fischer modern game proved turning point match fischer demonstrated acute intuitive feel position seemingly allowing white black structure fischer assessment attack created significant proved correct surprised fischer novelty react best way instead possible prevent particular 18th weakening light squares mistake game resigned day seeing fischer sealed best win fischer win fischer game classical main line game fischer fischer white played attack defence sacrificed slight advantage developed strong attack failed convert win game ending draw fischer game attack game fischer indian indian time variation fischer rebuffed attempt attack game fischer obtained blocked position weak bishop pair prospects moves faced position resigned fischer black dual threats decide alternatively wins fischer game fischer drawn level score rules stipulated champion retained title games match ended tie game fischer hinted surprise store game game fischer match began soviet team training debated fischer play opening different usual question raised expected fischer replied let bother nonsense play defence achieve fischer played instead time game game surprising seen fischer play white opening fact previously openly condemned played defense favorite choice tournaments line lost introduced moscow responded previously shown later beat apparently forgot fischer upper hand white crushing attack fischer game queen declined defense game joined audience fischer win fischer called opponent true bobby played steady fluent game watched moves met player bobby genius caliber fights piece board doesn agree draws like russian shock according alexander game notable things fischer played queen time life game second played perfection game casting doubt black opening system win gave fischer lead time match game fischer played time match fischer defended aggressively favorite upper hand consolidated extra reached winning played allowing salvage draw final position fischer extra execute draw perpetual check order escape knight fischer game variation game fischer english symmetrical fischer played game remained english opening opening game game gave exchange little compensation way advantage unclear sacrifice fischer won putting ahead fischer game english opening symmetrical defense game fischer game delayed took time pleading illness opening semi defense queen declined fischer played theoretical novelty ninth game game ended quiet draw moves fischer game queen declined semi defense game fischer fischer played opening great expert gives better chance fischer obtained upper hand initiating dangerous attack king suddenly placing black critical situation sacrificed exchange reaching sharp connected passed gave sufficient compensation fischer small material advantage drawing chances played fischer won game precise play fischer game game fischer game dramatic win games game fischer favorite surprised startling given time retreating knight starting position later analysis showed sufficient equality black responded correctly fischer black game unclear inferior defense fischer trapped fischer queen handed defeat black poisoned fischer game variation game fischer orthodox quiet queen declined fischer slight advantage game game ended opposite colored bishops draw moves fischer game queen declined orthodox defence game fischer defence fischer avoided lost game instead preferring black slightly better fischer upper hand game swung way finally fischer having edge sharp position clear win soviet team analysis convinced position drawn fischer stayed following morning analyzing resumption found win managed set traps fell lost seconds stunned refused leave board long time game unable believe result remarked strange lose opponent locked completely noted shock resigned fischer car remained seat sympathetic came shifted pieces demonstrating mistakes left wondering bobby win position night competent analysis renowned soviet team showed guaranteed draw world champion said game particularly strong impression called highest creative achievement fischer resolved opposite colored bishops sacrificing bishop trapping passed struggled white similar seen chess said games match 13th appeals play game grasp motive plan individual like imagination fischer game fischer shook hands audience thought agreed draw thinking draws wins wins black seven games games drawn fischer unable initiative choosing lines fischer unable break point lead fischer content inch title resigned fate board antics continued including lawsuit fischer damages filming rights match fischer objected said noticeable camera noises hosts reluctantly share film revenues contestants removed television cameras fischer demand remove seven rows spectators eventually rows cleared soviet claims fischer electronic chemical devices control resulting police sweep hall game fischer game postponed request fischer white queen declined fischer keeps slight advantage upper hand fischer played lost game settled draw fischer game queen declined game fischer fischer returned played main line lost game fischer sacrificed accepted upper hand game took second allowed fischer strong attack brink disaster found replies time pressure fischer able achieve draw repetition moves years later yugoslav improved play piece sacrifice winning crushing victory nice black turn later improved fischer fischer game line game fischer fischer played favorite line game equal defended tactical ended nominal advantage extra ending known easy book draw draw agreed symbolic material advantage little psychological torture game agreeing draw fischer game exchange variation game fischer defence fischer played defence time career game unclear game ended draw repetition rule fischer game game fischer game opened attack game equal like game game ended draw repetition fischer game attack game fischer second defence match game ended draw moves commented situation arisen tactical possibilities sides position unclear alexander wrote miracle piece sacrifices white counter sacrifice black players reached completely equal chances fischer game game fischer game equal fischer unable progress got better position fischer headed twice avoided draw repetition moves fischer incorrect claim repetition agreed draw repetition fischer versus fischer game attack game fischer game turned game fischer line played black surprised novelty game equal played badly game big advantage fischer fischer 40th best played actual 40th sealed preventing drawing chances allowed black win followed pushing september day scheduled resumption game informed fischer audience resigned game telephone making fischer winner match expressed disappointment arrived playing hall fischer person fischer game final score favor fischer making eleventh world champion won games including game fischer won seven games draws popular culture musical chess lyrics music tells story chess champions referred american russian musical loosely based world championship match fischer fischer match soviet wrote ironic song cycle honor chess crown song rank file soviet worker preparation match fischer second game expressions songs russian culture film sacrifice tells story fischer attempts defeat russian film directed stars fischer sixth episode season comedian recounts world championship match fisher games drunk history season episode october comedy central
World Chess Championship 1972