Another Fischer video reappears!

Most of this blog entry has already appeared in an earlier blog entry from 2011, but with the recent release last week ,by AP,  onto YOUTUBE of more than half a million news videos, I have been able to expand on my previous work.

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A LOOK BACK AT CHESS HISTORY

The Obelisco,today an iconic symbol of Buenos Aires, was built in 1936.  It stands a brisk 5-minutes walk from where Fischer and Petrosian played, and just 15-seconds from where Alekhine and Capablanca played in 1927!

Buenos Aires has deep significance amongst modern chess historians.  The site of some of the most prestigious chess events ever: the World Championship match of 1927 between Alekhine and Capablanca; not less than two chess Olympiads: the last Olympiad before World War II (1939), which saw many of the world’s strongest players decide to stay on in Argentina rather than return to Europe,and the 1978 Olympiad ; and last but not least, the Candidate-finals between Fischer and Petrosian in 1971. 

The legendary final of the 1971 Candidates Matches between the 28 year old American genius Bobby Fischer and the 42 year old Armenian genius Tigran Petrosian is to many fans the greatest chess match played up to that time. Far better than most of today’s World Championship matches, both in terms of quality of play as well as excitement generated. Scheduled as a (best of ) 12-game match, it took place between September 30 and October 19 (or the 26th, according to other sources) in Buenos Aires on the second floor of the Teatro Municipal San Martin, the match was followed by the entire chess world. It was billed as ”The unstoppable force vs the immovable object”, and represented a turning point in modern chess.

Fischer and Petrosian greeting each other for the drawing of lots on September 29, to decide on colours for the first game (Fischer would get the White pieces) 

And what a spectacle it was! Hundreds of journalists from all over the world converged on the San Martin teatro in the centre of Buenos Aires

The teatro is located on Avenida Corrientes, not far from the Obelisco. One of Buenos Aires’ most popular cultural attractions, it is visited by more than 1 million people every year. 

The match was played in the Martin Coronado auditorium of the theatre, on the second floor of the teatro. Seating capacity was approximately 1200. The rounds began at 5pm.

Thousands of chess fans bought tickets to the main spectacle at the teatro, while those who could not get a ticket crowded the lobby and overflowed onto the street, all fully aware that something truly historic was taking place.

Grandmasters Pilnik and Najdorf explained the moves to the audience in the reception, using a large demonstration board.

Notice the miniature chess sets!

Fischer arrived several minutes late for the first game, something that would become a sort of habit (he even showed up late for  the opening ceremony!). When later pressed by journalists, Petrosian confessed that he was not at all annoyed by Fischer’s habit: ”It is only a question of his upbringing…” Fischer won the first game (extending his unbroken winning streak to 20 consecutive games against grandmasters)

Petrosian won the second. Fischer arrived three minutes late. In a rare lapse of judgment he over-reached himself in the opening, was unable to castle and found himself in the end game with a wandering king. Fischer resigned after 32 moves.

The great winning streak was over. The crowd-1,200 inside the theater, 2,000 in the lobby–chanted, “Tigran! Tigran!” Petrosian had always been an immensely popular figure in Argentina–not less than 600,000 Armenians lived there at the time–but CRUSHING Fischer in game two of the match elevated Petrosian to god-like status!  Petrosian would later admit: ”I have never in my whole life had such an ovation as I received after that game.”

It must have become immediately clear to Fischer that Petrosian’s enormous match experience (not less than 3-world championship matches!) was going to be a BIG obstacle if he was going to win this match. This was confirmed when the next  3 games ended in draws. The score stood dead-locked at 2.5 points each. The Bobby Fischer that had earlier in the year crushed both Taimanov and Larsen 6-0 now seemed unrecognizable…What is more, Petrosian seemed to playing the better chess, outplaying the American in even simple positions!

 Then came the fateful 6th game…

The former world champion, with the White pieces, inexplicably becomes nervous right before the game and plays a very passive opening.  He would later remark: ”I still can not explain why I played 2.b3.” and very quickly Petrosian found himself on the defensive. Fischer positionally outplayed the Armenian.

Fischer

Petrosian

When the game was adjourned at move 41, it was clear to everyone that White was going to lose a pawn.  The only question was if Petrosian could draw…Spassky was of the opinion ”White ought to draw it.”, while Korchnoi was more cautious:’‘White is going to be a pawn down, but he has drawing chances.”

Even to  this day the adjourned position is a subject of heated debate. But after a sleepless night for both players, Fischer won. Petrosian would later be very critical of his play in this endgame: ”I played horribly, losing without a fight.” For the second time in the match, the American superstar held the lead!

Then Fischer did his magic: he energetically won the next 2 games! So taken a back was Petrosian by the sudden and decisive change in match momentum that he asked to see his doctor, worried by his rising blood pressure. But the doctor could not find anything wrong with the Armenian. Even towards the end of his life Petrosian could not find a reasonable explanation for his being routed so decisively.  

The nineth game was to end the suffering…

A remarkable photo, Fischer had just played 1.e4 and awaits Petrosian’s move.  A broken Petrosian seems to be unsure what opening he prefers to lose in…he chose the French Defence and seemed to go downhill almost immediately.  Petrosian resigned after Fischer’s 46th move (46.a4):

 Petrosian

Fischer

The White pawns are unstoppable.

Never before had the ex-world champion lost that many games consecutively! Bobby Fischer became the first American challenger for the World Chess Championship!   The video below shows the pandemonium that explodes in the teatro San Martin as Petrosian resigns the 9th game.

Today’s winning pro-Russian Terrorist!

”Considering that any resident of the Donetsk Region and the Lugansk Region has had enough time and opportunities to leave the área of hostilities provided that they wanted to do so, anyone who has stayed behind should be regarded as complicit in the unrest , or supportive of it…Anyone who attempts to resist shall be executed on the spot…”

RAND CORPORATION MEMORANDUM

LINK

(Action plan being implemented by Poroshenko today)

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JFK jr. in Moscow and chess.

KENNEDY’S LAST MOVE

By chance , over the weekend, I came across one of those almost-hidden websites that can only be described as a precious gem: JOSEF’S SITE: ESSAY ON CHESS. How many do you recognize in the photo below?

 

JFK jr. (l) playing chess with his cousin Mark Shriver  Moscow 1975 LINK  

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”As fate willed, in 1975, the Kennedys visited Moscow University where they acquainted themselves with its chess club. Sargent Shriver, a well-known American political figure, was at the head of the family delegation. His wife, the older Kennedy’s sister, their children and relatives became members of this group. It was very interesting to all of them. John Kennedy Jr., the President’s son, was at the center of attention.

While foreign guests looked over many chess photos on display, and heard my explanations, two Americans stepped aside and sat down at the chessboard. The young John Kennedy Jr. and his cousin Mark, Shriver’s son, were engaged in a passionate chess battle. Many spectators watched their moves. “John is very capable in chess,” students whispered to each other. Some university grandmasters suggested that if the younger Kennedy would attend classes as a foreign student at Moscow State University, they would help him to achieve a high chess level.”

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ESSAY ON CHESS

 Josef Vatnikov (right) serving coffee to Tigran Petrosian

Josef Vatnikov died  last year at age 90.  Josef was an obscure international chess master whom my readers can be forgiven if they had never heard of.  I certainly had never heard of Vatnikov before this weekend (except  perhaps for a Geller-miniature where Josef was crushed in 17-moves).  But Vatnikov was much more than a mere chess player, he was a multi-talented individual. Born in the Ukraine, he enlisted in the Red Army at age 18 and fought as a paratrooper.

Surviving the war, Josef became a Doctor of Law.  A journalist. For more than a quarter of a century he was also the Chief Coach at the Moscow State University before moving to the ‘States.  Josef’s rich legacy is an amazing website and an equally amazing book, ESSAY ON CHESS which deals with episodes from his colourful life…

Bruce Lee (the lost interview)

WOW!!  Just came across this vídeo on VIMEO this evening.  Bruce Lee and Canadian super-journalist Pierre Berton!  From December 1971, just before Lee was to make his jump into superstardom …and then tragically die in the summer of 1973. 

For millions of my generation, across the world, Bruce Lee was more than just a superstar.  He was an artist, in the most fundamental sense of the word.  He wanted his audience to understand his craft, his message and his philosophy.  In his short life he changed the paradigm of what it meant to be a superstar.  I have many books of Bruce Lee, some bought in different countries during my travels.  I still enjoy leafing thru them…they still inspire me!

 

https://vimeo.com/32200864

Rubinstein’s real date of birth?

 

Few players stand out in modern chess history as much as the great Akiba Rubinstein.  Not only was he a legend in his own time, but his contributions to opening theory have stood the test of time: virtually every major opening system that is popular today is so because the Polish grandmaster discovered, researched  and popularized the weaponary of modern tournament chess players.  Rubinstein defined modern chess theory.

 

My own chess progress in chess in the mid to late 80’s is largely due to a deep study of Rubinstein’s games.  For a while back in 1983/84 I carried with me a Russian copy of his games where ever I went.  I found inspiration in his games.  Not to mention wisdom and knowledge.  I asked Bent Larsen to autograph this book for me at the New York Open (1984).  A later work on Rubinstein, by IM  John Donaldson, has the autograph of David Bronstein (1996).  In my library I have a half-dozen works on the life and games of this Polish genius.

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Akiba giving a simul in Palestine,May 1931.  More images can be found HERE

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But this blog article is not about Rubinstein’s greatness.  Instead , it is about his REAL date of birth (DOB).  There appears to be some confusion about this, and if Ela and Jan Kusina are correct, then Rubinstein’s DOB is several years earlier than officially recorded.

According to WIKI and all of the books that I have in my library (including Kmoch’s ”100 Selected Games” and John Donaldson’s ”Uncrowned King”) the official DOB is 12th December, 1882  (or 12th October, depending on which calênder is used).  However, the tombstone of the Great One is 1-12-1880, some two years earlier.

CLOSE UP

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The well respected historical blog ‘Ken Whyld Foundation and Association’ wrote last week: 

”Our Polish friends Ela and Jan Kusina were successful in their research on Akiwa Rubinstein’s date of birth, they have now confirmed by official documents that the DOB 01-12-1880 given on Rubinstein’s gravestone is correct!  

(See the updated Rubinstein entry in our Chess Graves series.)

 Until now mostly October 12, 1882 was quoted to be Rubinstein’s DOB. Maybe Rubinstein has made himself 2 years younger than he was in order to escape military service? (Michael Negele)”

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You can also find some more information on the dedicated blog Akiba’s Dream.  Good Reading!

Cool video!

The Club Argentino (Buenos Aires) is one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious chess clubs.  Virtually every world champion visited it at one time or the other since the time of Emanual Lasker.  The 1927 Alekhine vs Capablanca match was held on its premises.

Kalashnikov: RIP

 

Legendary arms designer dies at age 94!

Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov  ( 10 November 1919 – 23 December 2013 ) died today after a long illness, leaving a legacy that has endured more than 6-decades and has spread to every corner of the world. It is expected that little will change in coming decades.   Coming from a poor Russian family, Kalashnikov was something of an engineering-wizard when he was   assigned to a tank division as a mechanic shortly before the second world war.  Kalashnikov  turned towards designing assault rifles towards the end of the war.  His most successful invention , the AK-47 (standing for Avtomat Kalashnikova model 1947) came into prominence only in 1947 and within a few short years became standard issue for the Russian armed services.

Because of  its design simplicity, inexpensiveness (today’s manufacturers charge about 200 euros for a new model) durability and reliability, the AK-47  has been the top choice for assault rifles thru out the world, easily beating out the American M16. LINK  It is conservatively estimated that atleast 100,000,000 of Kalashnikov’s rifles hasvebeen produced since  day one.  No one knows for certain, as it was only in 1997 that Kalashnikov aquired a patent!   As a result, Kalashnikov never made a cent from his rifle.  Most of the AK-47s in use today are non-Russian produced.

Putin with Kalashnikov in September of this year.  Successive  Russian (Soviet) governments have awarded Kalashnikov with virtually every honor in its arsenal. 

Shortly before his death he is quoted to have said that while he had no regrets about designing the gun nor about the numbers of people who have been killed from its use in armed conflicts, he was saddened that the AK-47 was used by so many criminal organizations and by child-warriers in some third world countries.

Russia’s elite special forces still use the AK-47 today!

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A pic is worth a 1,000 words

Capablanca as a toddler, 1898. La Habana

Wow! Where did they get this photo? I certainly had never seen it before!  The above photo was published on Chess in Photos, a wonderful site full of interesting stuff.  HOWEVER, I think someone got the date wrong: Capa seems too young for the photo to have been taken in 1898.  Infact, it seems to have been from the same photo-shoot as the much better known  photo below, taken when Capa was a mere 4 years old.

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Years later in New York:

Read more:  The Day the Music Died

Tidbits on Cambridge Springs 1904

After having exchanged email with an old Montreal friend of mine a while back, Neil Sullivan (we can be carbon- dated back to Arthur Langlois’ Alekhine Chess Club in the early 70’s), I found myself taking a look at the number of books in my chess library. I stumbled across the thin tournament booklet of Cambridge Springs 1904, squeezed in between two massive volumes . I have a rare copy , 1935, first printing, that was given to me by a dear friend from Zimbabwe many years ago.

The book was written by none other than Fred Renfeld. I would not have thought of writing of this tournament on my blog but for the precious introduction written by Fred himself:

”It may seem incongruous, in view of the endless procession of tournaments and matches, to bring out the book of a tournament which ended 31 years ago to the day. Nine of the participants of the Cambridge Springs Tournament , some of them among the greatest masters the game has had,are no longer with us. To honor the dead and at a same time to pay tribute to Frank.J.Marshall’s glorious triumph in one of the most notable tournaments in chess history, seemed to me two tasks which demanded completion….I have been somewhat handicapped in the production of this book by the shameless apathy of those from whom I had every reason to expect some interest in such a volume….” May 19, 1935

I could not resist to write a bit of this famous tournament, if only to honour the memory of the person who gave me the book!

Cambridge Springs International Chess Tournament

The very first great international chess tournament to be held in America took place at the health resort Cambridge Springs, from April 25th to May 19th 1904. The participants included the World Champion, Emanuel Lasker, who had not played in a chess tournament for 4 years. The 16 participants included many of the best in the world, 8 from Europe and 8 from the U.S

Tarrasch declined an invitation to participate because of Lasker’s presence. Maroczy was unable to accept for professional reasons. These were about the only two leading players in the world missing from the tournament.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 Marshall * ½ 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 13.0
2 Lasker ½ * 1 ½ ½ 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 ½ 1 1 11.0
3 Janowsky 0 0 * ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 11.0
4 Marco ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 1 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 9.0
5 Showalter 0 ½ ½ ½ * ½ 1 1 1 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 8.5
6 Schlechter 0 1 0 ½ ½ * 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 ½ 7.5
7 Chigorin ½ 0 0 0 0 1 * ½ 1 0 1 1 ½ 1 0 1 7.5
8 Pillsbury 0 1 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ * 0 1 ½ ½ 0 1 ½ 1 7.0
9 Mieses 0 0 0 1 0 ½ 0 1 * 1 1 1 0 ½ 1 0 7.0
10 Fox 0 0 1 0 ½ 1 1 0 0 * 1 0 1 1 0 0 6.5
11 Teichmann 0 0 0 1 1 ½ 0 ½ 0 0 * 1 ½ 0 1 1 6.5
12 Napier ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 0 1 0 * 0 1 1 ½ 5.5
13 Lawrence 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 1 0 ½ 1 * ½ 0 ½ 5.5
14 Barry 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 0 1 0 ½ * 0 1 5.0
15 Hodges 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 1 ½ 0 1 0 0 1 1 * 0 5.0
16 Delmar 0 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 1 1 0 ½ ½ 0 1 * 4.5

The surprise winner of the tournament was the US Champion, Frank Marshall. He was 26 years old at the time

The tournament was held at the luxury Rider Hotel, a huge complex that included 500 rooms, and a bowling alley!

All of the European participants (including Marshall, who had just won a tournament in Monte Carlo) crossed the Atlantic in the Pretoria, travelling first class. They arrived on April 16 in New York and travelled to Cambridge Springs on April 21. The sponsors were W.D. Rider, I.L. Rice, Erie Railroad Company and subscribers to the Daily Bulletin. Baron Rothschild was also involved.

There was tremendous wealth being created in America at around the turn of the 20th century, with a few individuals having as much as 10 times the wealth of modern day Bill Gates. It is good to see that some of them had interest in chess tournaments!

Cambridge Springs was a health resort in Pennsylvania, famous for its spas and mineral waters. It advertised that it was the town that was halfway between New York and Chicago when you took the Erie Railroad line. It is in northwestern Pennsylvania about 30 miles south of Erie, Pennsylvania.

The town was founded in the early 1800s by German and Irish families. It was first called Cambridge Township, then Cambridgeboro. In 1897 it was changed to Cambridge Springs to acknowledge the importance of the mineral springs in the area. The mineral waters was supposed to cure almost anything.

In 1903 William Douglass Rider, Jr. wanted an international chess tournament at his resort hotel (constructed in 1895-97). Most of the support and funding was provided by Rider and the directors of the Eire Railroad Company. Additional support was received from chess clubs around the country in the form of subscriptions to the daily chess bulletins. Another financial backer was Professor Isaac Leopold Rice (1850-1915), a millionaire who made his fortune as a corporate lawyer. He was a chess patron who gave his name to the Rice Gambit in the King’s Gambit Accepted (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.h4 g4 5.Ne5 Nf6 6.Bc4 d5 7.exd5 Bd6 8.O-O Bxe5 9.Re1). Another financial backer was Baron Albert de Rothschild (1844-1911) of Vienna.

Unfortunately, while the tournament was a big success, it was never repeated since Mr. Rider died the very next year. In 1912, the Hotel Rider was sold to the Polish National Alliance College. President William Taft was on hand for the opening ceremonies of the new technical school. The building burned to the ground in 1931. Later rebuilt, the college housed the largest collection of Polish writing in the United States.

Not having played any serious chess in 4 years, Lasker lost to both Schlechter and Pillsbury in the early rounds of the tournament. From then on he had to pull up his sleeves.

Perhaps the most memorable game of the tournament was Lasker vs Napier, of which Napier said later that he was more proud of this loss than any of his victories:

Lasker E. – Napier W.
Cambridge Springs 1904.

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Nf3 g6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Bg7 6. Be3 d6 7. h3 Nf6 8. g4 O-O 9. g5 Ne8 10. h4 Nc7 11. f4 e5 12. Nde2 d5 13. exd5 Nd4 14. Nxd4 Nxd5 15. Nf5 Nxc3 16. Qxd8 Rxd8 17. Ne7 Kh8 18. h5 Re8 19. Bc5 gxh5 20. Bc4? [20. bxc3 Bf8 21. Bb5 Rxe7 22. Bxe7 Bxe7 23. Rxh5]
20… exf4 [20… Ne4 21. Bxf7 Bg4 22. f5 Nxc5 23. f6 Bf8 24. g6 Red8µ] 21. Bxf7 Ne4 22. Bxe8 22…Bxb2 23. Rb1 Bc3 24. Kf1 Bg4

25. Bxh5!!! Bxh5 26. Rxh5 Ng3 27. Kg2 Nxh5 28. Rxb7 a5 29. Rb3 Bg7 30. Rh3 Ng3 31. Kf3 Ra6 32. Kxf4 Ne2 33. Kf5 Nc3 34. a3 Na4 35. Be3 Bf8 36. Bd4 Bg7 37. g6 [1:0]

I remember playing over this game while still a teenager! What impressed me the most was how Lasker got thru to the ending and was quite content with a small advantage (at least to me at the time) and converted it neatly to a win.

Lasker never wrote a book of his own games, detailing his greatest triumphs. Which is too bad for us fans, since he played so many great players and great games. What is left for us are mostly his sparce comments from chess columns from that period. What a pitty, for example, that he never analyzed his duel with Pillsbury from St. Petersburg 1895-6!

Kasparov, with the aid of a computer, analyzed it in his excellent series of world champions. Quite a remarkable game. I think that in the past, or atleast up until the Soviet chess school appeared, precise, detailed and exact analysis of chess games was not considered important enough for anybody to do it of their games. The scientific approach to chess that the Soviets heralded changed how annotated games would be modeled.

Up to then, it must have been considered sufficient for the readers to merely give general ideas and guiding thoughts of the game in question. As was explained in Lasker’s introduction to the St. Petersburg chess congress (the subject of yesterday’s blog)

The prize fund was 3,100 US dollars, equivalent to more than 100,000 dollars today! First prize was 1,000 dollars. The brilliancy prizes (a total of 100 dollars) was donated by Baron Rothschild. The first brilliancy prize (40 dollars) went to Schlechter for his win against Lasker!

The tournament rules, adopted from the 1895 Hastings Chess Congress, forbade consultation on adjourned games. You could not even enter a room with any other player during the intermission period between 3 pm and 5 pm. No draws were allowed under 30 moves unless it was a forced draw (there were only 2 draws less than 30 moves). Play was from 10 am to 3 pm, then from 5 pm to 7 pm. The time control was 30 moves in 2.5 hours, then 15 moves each hour thereafter.

Harry Pillsbury was the strongest American player since Morphy . I quote from Hannak:”And thereby hangs a tale which chess players all over the world have been enjoying for half a century. Remember Lasker’s sensational triumph over Pillsbury in the St.Petersburg Tournament of 1895-6, the game that won the brilliancy prize and turned the tables of the tournament in Lasker’s favour. Now in that game, as soon as Pillsbury had made his 7th move (which turned out to be the source of all his subsequent troubles) he felt that he should have made another move, never tried in that variation and yet-so it seemed to Pillsbury-likely to lead to a rather more advantageous line. That very night, after his shattering defeat, Pillsbury sat down for many hours, analysing his new idea and satisfying himself that indeed it would have given him the advantage. During the next weeks and months, he burned a good deal more midnight oil in the privacy of his room, analyzing his new variation so thoroughly as he knew how; but he did not tell anybody about it. Since the opening concerned was a variation of the Queen’s Gambit very popular in those days, Pillsbury had countless opportunities to give his new line the practical test; but he would not waste his great secret; he would spring that surprise on no one less than Lasker.

It had become almost an obsession with Pillsbury, yet the years rolled by and the opportunity never arose. Whenever he did play Lasker, Pillsbury either did not have the White pieces or it so happened that he could not steer the opening into that particular variation. At long last, already a doomed man and playing in what was to be his last major tournament, Pillsbury go the chance he had worked for, yearned for, and dreamed about for eight long years and four months to a day.”

Pillsbury H. – Lasker E.
1904.
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 c5 5. Bg5 cxd4 6. Qxd4 Nc6 7. Bxf6 gxf6 8. Qh4 dxc4 9. Rd1 Bd7 10. e3 Ne5 11. Nxe5 fxe5 12. Qxc4 Qb6 13. Be2 Qxb2 14. O-O Rc8 15. Qd3 Rc7 16. Ne4 Be7 17. Nd6 Kf8 18. Nc4 Qb5 19. f4 exf4 20. Qd4 f6 21. Qxf4 Qc5 22. Ne5 Be8 23. Ng4 f5 24. Qh6 Kf7 25. Bc4 Rc6


26. Rxf5! Qxf5 27. Rf1 Qxf1 28. Kxf1 Bd7 29. Qh5 Kg8 30. Ne5 [1:0]

This was Pillsbury’s last tournament. He died 2 years later at the age of 33, of syphlis. Lasker , being a gentleman, wrote instead that he had died of ‘over exertion of the mind’.

A dashing Napier. Life must go on! He started dating Pillsbury’s niece and married her!

One last note. The opening ”Cambridge Springs Defence” dates back to this tournament, even though it had been played a bit earlier!

SPRAGGETT ON CHESS

Photos of Fischer vs Petrosian 1971

SPRAGGETT ON CHESS

A LOOK BACK AT CHESS HISTORY

Buenos Aires has deep significance to modern chess historians.  The site of some of the most prestigious chess events ever: the World Championship match of 1927 between Alekhine and Capablanca; the last Olympiad before World War II (1939), which saw many of the world’s strongest players decide to stay on in Argentina rather than return to Europe; the Candidate-finals between Fischer and Petrosian in 1971. 

The finals of the 1971 Candidates Matches between the 28 year old American genius Bobby Fischer and the 42 year old Armenian genius Tigran Petrosian is already a legend of history. Taking place between September 30 and October 19 in Buenos Aires at the Teatro Municipal San Martin, the match was followed by the entire chess world. It was billed as ”The unstoppable force vs the immovable object”.

And what a spectacle it was! Hundreds of journalists from all over the world converged on Buenos Aires. Thousands of chess fans crowded the streets directly outside the teatro , all fully aware that something historic was taking place.

The Obelisk,today a symbol of Buenos Aires, was built in 1936.  It stands a brisk 5-minutes walk from where Fischer and Petrosian played, and just 15-seconds from where Alekhine and Capablanca played in 1927!

The rounds began at 5pm in the Martin Coronado auditorium of the theatre. Grandmasters Pilnik and Najdorf explained the moves to the audience in the reception, using a large demonstration board.

Fischer won the first game (extending his unbroken winning streak to 20 consecutive games against grandmasters); Petrosian won the second. Then followed 3 straight draws. The score stood at 2.5 points each.

Then Fischer did his magic: he won the next 4 games in a row! Never before had the ex-world champion lost that many games consecutively! Bobby Fischer became the first American challenger for the World Chess Championship!

This is a present day photo of the Teatro Municipal San Martin from the street. The modern theatre contains 3 main rooms, the largest with a capacity of more than a thousand people. Fischer and Petrosian played their match on the second floor of the theatre.

This is a photo of the chess fans in the lobby of the theatre. Those who could not get a ticket into the actual playing hall! There were thousands more right outside! The auditorium where they played was up the stairs to the back.

The match in progress

The resumption of the famous 6th game, which started Fischer’s 4 game winning streak!

Chief Arbiter O’Kelly starting the clock in the 2nd game

Tigran Petrosian (World Champion from 1963 to 1969) deep in thought

Fans in the lobby; notice the pocket sets!

Photos from the actual playing room, following the play of the champions

A baby sleeping in the lobby! The father wanted to see the match!

The final game of the match (9th game); Fischer had just played 1.e4 and a beaten Petrosian sat thinking about his first move, and what they were saying about him in Moscow!

Bobby Fischer sitting for a photo shoot at the closing ceremony. VIPs standing directly behind him.

A photo of Fischer at a swimming pool that appeared in a Buenos Aires newspaperAt the Argentine Chess Club the actual table used for the historic match is on exhibition. This is the plaque, signed by both Fischer and Petrosian.