The Kansas City Star from Kansas City, Missouri • 167

Can Bobby Fischer Beat The Russian Chess Champ? by Al Horowitz Wen on July 2 Robert Fischer many-time United States chess champion sits down to play the first game of his world championship match against titleholder Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union it will be the first time in 71 years that an American has participated in a match for highest title Although Samuel Reshevsky took part in a tournament held in 1942 to determine the successor to the throne left vacant by the death of Alexander Alekhine and finished fourth no American has faced a reigning world champ in a head-to-head confrontation for the title since Frank Marshall in 1901 when he suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Emanuel Lasker These 71 years represent a long period of hope and frustration for American chess fans It is little wonder that now when a fellow countryman has earned an oppor tunity to play for the title the na tional chess community should await the event in a fever of enftous iasm Many American chess players have followed career from the time when at the age of 12 he first proved himself a force to be reckoned with When two years later in 1956 he won the US Championship for the first time there were many who predicted he would win the world title before he was old enough to vote But although he went on to become at the age of 15 the youngest grandmaster in the of the game the road to the summit proved to be much longer and rockier than his admirers had anticipated That road has now led to of all im probable places Reykjavik Iceland where play barring accidents will begin on July 2 The first player to score 12V4 points (counting one point for a win half-a-point to each for a draw) within the limit of 24 games will be the winner If the match is tied at the end of 24 games the champion will retain his title Spassky was also a world champi onship contender while still in his teens but like Fischer suffered some sobering setbacks before fi nally achieving his goal He should now be at the height of his career and under ordinary circumstances might be expected to hold on to his crown for many years to come OK Fischer says it's your move A 14 June 18 1972 The Kansas City Star Magazine.