Fischer Defies Russia: The Match of the Century
Bobby Fischer showed up late, forfeited Game 2, demanded the cameras be removed, and nearly walked out of Reykjavik entirely before defeating Boris Spassky to become World Chess Champion on September 1, 1972. The match, played at the height of the Cold War, was framed as a proxy battle between American individualism and Soviet institutional chess. Fischer's 12.5 to 8.5 victory ended 24 years of unbroken Soviet championship. He was 29, brilliant, and deeply troubled. Fischer never defended his title, refusing to accept FIDE's terms for a rematch, and forfeited the championship in 1975. He spent the rest of his life in seclusion, making increasingly disturbing public statements, and died in Iceland in 2008.
September 1, 1972
54 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on September 1
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