July 11, 1972: Fischer-Spassky match begins

On this day in 1972, the world championship chess match began between American Bobby Fischer and Soviet Boris Spassky – a duel that was widely seen as a proxy for the Cold War.

The match was held in Reykjavík, Iceland. It could go as long as 24 games, with draws counting as 1/2 a point for each player.

After losing the first game, Fischer forfeited the second when he failed to show up. He had given the organizers a list of demands, including the use of a custom chess set and the removal of several rows of spectators.

Many experts thought that Fischer had sealed his fate; despite having 22 games remaining, it seemed unlikely that he could surmount not only his psychological obstacles, but also the defending world champion at the other side of the board (although the 29-year-old Fischer had been known as a prodigy since age 13).

Nevertheless, Fischer won in 21 games, 12 1/2-8 1/2 – a resounding victory. The match inspired the musical Chess (famously set in Bangkok, not Reykjavík).

Spassky won the right to challenge Fischer for the crown in 1975; once again, however, Fischer had presented FIDE officials with a list of demands, and they had refused to meet them. He vacated his title and became a recluse.

Fischer came out of hiding for an exhibition grudge match in 1992, which he won handily. It was held in Yugoslavia, which was under embargo at the time; American authorities eventually revoked his passport, and he received asylum in Iceland, where he died in 2008.

Having perhaps the most brilliant chess mind in history was a double-edged sword. By the end of his life, Fischer would become synonymous with anti-Semitic and anti-American rants, and he feared his mind was being controlled by hostile governments.

The book Bobby Fischer Goes to War is an entertaining read fixing the match in its place in terms of the Cold War.