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Time
Out
A noble foe Chess
World
champions are known for their tenacity and determination to
hang on to the title! The top position has a peculiar charm
of its own.
In the distant past, there was no official body to regulate
chess. And champions were almost free to choose the challenger.
Obviously, they chose the ones who would give them the least
trouble! That did not serve the purpose of merit and fair
play, but the champions were happy to face the players that
they could beat rather easily.
But things became a lot more disciplined when FIDE was established
in 1924. Even then the champions were enjoying undue advantage
and could still avoid facing the strongest players through
clever manoeuvring (off the board!). The way Alekhine avoided
a return match with Capablanca is a good example of how the
champions made the best out of the absence of well defined
rules and regulations.
That said, world champion Boris Spassky did not quite have
the same experience. He was burdened with the unpleasant task
of defending the title in a match with Bobby Fischer--- the
'impudent' American who was threatening to tear apart the
Soviet supremacy. The psychological pressure on Spassky must
have been enormous when he finally sat down to defend the
title. He was not just an individual facing a highly talented,
blood-thirsty opponent. Spassky was representing a system
built over 50 years. The problem with the masters of the system
was that they were not ready to accept the truth that an arrogant
American, having nothing except his talent, could win against
a Soviet world champion. It was far more than losing the title;
it was like losing a battle of honour to the 'despicable'
Americans.
Spassky tried his best, but lost to the great American. But
he never did anything unsporting or indecent, even though
many disturbing things happened during the match as Fischer
began to behave like the '|problem child' that he was throughout
his career. Spassky was a dignified loser who placed chess
above everything.
Here is a game played by the 'gentleman'. Spassky unleashes
a powerful attack to score the full point against the Danish
grandmaster.
White-Bent
Larsen
Black- Boris Spassky [A01]
USSR-World, Belgrade 1970
1.b3 e5 2.Bb2 Nc6 3.c4 Nf6 4.Nf3 e4 5.Nd4 Bc5 6.Nxc6 dxc6
7.e3 Bf5 8.Qc2 Qe7 9.Be2?! 000 10.f4?? Ng4! 11.g3 h5 12.h3
h4! 13.hxg4 hxg3 14.Rg1 Rh1! 15.Rxh1 g2 16.Rf1 Qh4+ 17.Kd1
gxf1Q+ 0-1
Position
after12...h4!
-PATZER
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