Spassky VS Fisher
In the summer of 1972, the "Match of the Century" took place - a chess duel between the American Bobby Fischer and the reigning world champion Boris Spassky. The political situation in the world added to the severity of the match: the US and the USSR were in the acute stage of the Cold War, the Vietnam War was in full swing, which was watched by the whole world. It was impressive that Vietnam, a small developing country, could so successfully withstand the unimaginable military power of the United States. The US's greatest strength was its innovative weapons and technology; Vietnam has the power of their radio intelligence, which, thanks to the help of the USSR, could cope with all attacks from the Americans with high efficiency. Historians compare this war with the confrontation between Finland and the USSR in 1939-40, when small Finland, due to the effectiveness of its radio intelligence, successfully repelled the attacks of the Soviet army, which was many times superior in numbers and power.
Due to the hot political agenda, the confrontation between Spassky and Fischer was interesting not only from a sports point of view, but also from a political one. The idea of supporting one's chess player and contributing in every possible way to victory became a national idea in both countries, so much so that both American and Soviet intelligence were involved.
Since 1948, only Soviet chess players have become world champions, so Boris Spassky had a huge responsibility. The preparations of chess players for the upcoming game were very different from each other: Bobby Fischer prepared alone, while Spassky used all the means available to the USSR. The head of the Soviet Chess and Sports Committee, Viktor Baturinsky, said: “Not only the Soviet leadership, but also those in power in the sports world were only interested in one thing at that moment: to prevent Bobby Fischer from winning the championship.”
Veteran of the Soviet Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Georgy Sannikov gave his opinion on why Boris Spassky lost the final match. He believed that the Soviet chess player could not withstand the psychological pressure from the American athlete. Bobby Fischer resorted to various tricks over and over again in order to beat morally, to break Boris Spassky: either he asked to transfer the spectators from the front rows, or he postponed the start of the match.
Sannikov noted that “the team of the American chess player had a strong psychological impact on Boris. The first moral influences towards the Soviet athlete began even before the start of the game: Bobby Fischer in pre-match interviews was one hundred percent sure that he would win unconditionally.” In an interview for RIA Novosti, Georgy Sannikov said: “The American used unsportsmanlike pressure, and no one could help Boris Spassky cope with the psychological pressure exerted on him. He had 7 advisers, the opinion of four of which he did not take into account. He himself told me about it.”
The scout also said that the Soviet chess team did not want to occupy the embassy cottage, which was protected from wiretapping, eventually deciding in favor of the government villa, which was located right on the ocean. “There, Spassky's team, including advisers and coaches, analyzed various game tactics. After the first matches, it became obvious that the opponents were aware of all the preparations and plans of the Soviet chess player. We did not immediately understand how they obtained information. It turned out that there was a US air base not far from Reykjavik, equipped with the most modern listening equipment, which made it possible to listen to the villa where the Soviet chess players were located. Boris Spassky did not believe the arguments of the scouts - he was sure that Fischer was a decent athlete and would not resort to such a thing. It was possible to convince Spassky only thanks to a conversation with the ambassador: the team moved to his cottage, which was impossible to listen to. And right after that, the situation in the game changed: the American chess player became nervous and lost confidence in himself. So we knew for sure: the Americans really used wiretapping.”
Spassky was also pressured by the fact that his family could not come to the match. The arrival of his wife could not be arranged immediately, therefore, as Sannikov said, “lost games could not be returned”.
The KGB sent intelligence officer Georgy Sannikov and head of the 5th KGB department Philip Bobkov to Reykjavik. They were supposed to provide the Soviet chess player with support and safety from the influence of the Americans. There were enough KGB officers in Reykjavik, but the Soviet champion said: “My assistant was the Estonian Ivo Nei. As it turned out later, he was spying for the Americans. He arranged with Robert Byrne, chess editor at The New York Times, to co-write a book about the match. Ivo Ney knew about all our preparations and plans and passed this information on to the Americans. Fisher's team would immediately know about my plans if I decided to leave.”
It also follows from the statement of the former KGB officer that his organization did not send match a professional psychologist to help Spassky overcome stress and anxiety. Although excellent psychologists worked in the structure, they trained KGB officers to perform very responsible tasks abroad, which were associated with severe stress. Therefore, the fact that Boris Spassky was not provided with professional help during the most difficult games is at least strange. This was the essence of the activities of the Chairman of the KGB, Yu. V. Andropov. On the official side, external huge activity, but in reality sabotage, which could lead to a loss of prestige of the USSR.
and Yu.V. Andropov could perfectly explain his position, including at the highest level in the leadership of the Communist Party of the USSR, his actions by the fact that Boris Spassky is the most talented chess player in the world and simply cannot lose the match. KGB officers were able to intercept a telephone conversation between Bobby Fischer and Henry Kissinger (US National Security Advisor). Yuri Andropov only laughed at the topic of the conversation: it was about a special plane on which chocolate, orange juice and other products were sent from the USA for Bobby Fischer.
Only after the games lost by Boris Spassky, Yuri Andropov began to take active steps to collect dirt on the American chess player (for example, juice sent from the USA was tested for drugs), but it was too late: the actions of the KGB did not bring the desired result.
Daniel Johnson, author of The White King and the Red Queen: How the Cold War Was Played on a Chessboard, written in 2008, describes the espionage games of the USSR State Security Committee that ran parallel to a chess game. For example, Daniel claims that one of the KGB officers was able to plant a bug on Bobby Fischer's chair. It was discovered when an American chess player demanded to examine it.
In the story about the life of Bobby Fischer, “Endgame”, authored by a close friend of the American chess player Frank Brady, in an interview he said that he found new details about spy games during the match for the world title. He spoke of a "secret lab" where famous chess players and psychologists analyzed Bobby Fischer.
Boris Spassky gave an interview for the TASS news agency in the winter of 2020. The chess player was also asked questions about whether he felt the effect of any special devices during that match?
Boris replied: “It seems to me that something was used. Something mysterious. A few years ago I came to Iceland again. There I talked with one of the organizers of the final. He said that my assumptions that I was interfered with were not so stupid. Something prevented me from playing, I could not cope with this influence, I could not do anything. After all these years, I regret refusing to accept Fischer's defeat when he didn't show up for a game. I should have accepted his surrender.”
Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer met 5 times before this game: they drew twice, the rest of the matches were left to the Soviet chess player. However, the American chess player was considered the favorite: his rating was the highest in the entire history of chess - 2780 (at that time Boris Spassky had only 2660). The American received additional points for victories in the Candidates matches.
Bobby Fischer did not fly to the opening ceremony, which took place on July 1, 1972. He telegraphed new conditions for the match: for example, he demanded a ban on filming the match, as well as a third of all proceeds from ticket sales. It seemed that the match simply would not take place, because the International Chess Federation (FIDE) could not fulfill all the conditions of the American. According to the rules, Bobby Fischer should have been given the loss due to the fact that he did not fly to the draw, but FIDE President Max Euwe rescheduled the draw for the next day, and then rescheduled it two more times. The American chess player was accused even in the West: the whole world was saying that Fischer was trying to disrupt the match because he was afraid of losing. The conversation with Henry Kissinger influenced the athlete: Bobby Fischer canceled some of the requirements and appeared at the draw. Later, everyone said that this whole performance was part of a plan to exert psychological pressure on Boris Spassky.
At the same time, the Soviet chess player decided not to resort to active actions. Boris Spassky at that time was the reigning world champion, so he could at least deliver an ultimatum to Bobby Fischer, and at the most, simply refuse to play and demand the American be disqualified for numerous violations of the rules. Boris Spassky would have been right both legally and morally: the community would not have condemned such an act, everyone was on the side of the Soviet chess player. According to Spassky, even the sports committee insisted that he leave Reykjavik undefeated after all of Fischer's antics. However, Boris wanted to play the match at all costs (the prize fund for the first time in the history of chess was 250 thousand dollars), so he tried to avoid actions that added fuel to the fire.
With Passsky first demanded an official apology from Bobby Fischer only after he sent his representative instead of himself to the draw (which had already been postponed several times due to the absence of the American), thereby once again breaking the rules. On July 6, a press conference was held at which the representative of the Soviet team, grandmaster Efim Geller, announced that Boris Spassky was ready to start the game only after Bobby Fischer made an official apology. At the same time, Max Euwe had to admit that he violated the rules of the tournament, as he single-handedly postponed the start date of the match twice. All Geller's conditions were met, the date of the first match was July 11 (a week later than planned).
Usually chess players at the beginning of long matches try to seize a minimal advantage: a point won makes it possible to play more accurately and calmly. At the same time, the opponent, who is only one point behind, needs to take risks in order to recoup and catch up with the opponent. Often the risk is not justified and the loser gives up victory after victory.
The match between Fischer and Spassky began with an unexpected victory for the Soviet chess player. The position on the board was a draw, but Fischer decided to take a risk, but he made a mistake and lost his bishop, which was the reason for his defeat. After such a disappointing first defeat, Fischer did not come to the second game - he was confused. Everyone had already decided that he would never show up for further matches, fly away from Reykjavik, leaving the series unfinished.
In the overwhelming majority of chess matches of this level, such a start meant defeat: it is almost impossible to win back from 0:2. To win the match, Fischer needed to win two extra games against Spassky. It seemed impossible without some miraculous remedy that would help the American morally and mentally recover from such a blow.
This tool was found by US President Richard Nixon, who ordered the American chess player to send the chocolate of the Apollo 15 astronauts, who collected soil samples on the moon for three days. The chocolate recipe was developed specifically for this mission: the astronauts needed to be in a stressful situation for several days, while being at the maximum of productivity and energy, and also maintaining a good mood.
Henry Kissinger called Bobby Fischer and told him about this chocolate. As soon as the American began to eat it, the situation in the match changed dramatically. Fischer's victory in the third installment amazed the whole world! Now Boris Spassky had to work on his psychological state. It was obvious that he also lacked physical strength: it has been proven that chess players spend as much energy in long and responsible matches as if they had run a marathon. Boris Spassky used a new variation of the Sicilian Defense in the fourth game, which increased his chances of winning, but in the end he made a very disappointing mistake and lost the game. Obviously, he did not have enough physical strength to successfully conduct the party.
The initiative completely passed to the American. He took the 5th, 6th, 8th and 10th game, while he was close to victory in the 7th game. The score after the tenth match was 6.5:3.5 in favor of Bobby Fischer. Game 11 was left to Boris Spassky, but after this victory he could not win a single match. The American played a phenomenally difficult endgame, which helped him win the 13th game. Thus, Bobby Fischer had a comfortable lead of 3 points.
In the final 21 games, it was clear how emotionally depressed Boris Spassky was. He had a slight advantage on the board, but by White's 41st move (the moment of adjournment), the Soviet chess player made several unfortunate mistakes, as a result of which the American had a slight advantage. Boris Spassky didn't come to continue the match, he decided to surrender by phone. At first, the American chess player did not recognize such a surrender, but later refused the demand that Spassky surrender while sitting at the board. Overall result: 12.5:8.5 in favor of Bobby Fischer, who became the 11th world champion.
Boris Spassky later stated that he was influenced not only psychologically. According to him, at that time, both Soviet and American researchers were working on ultrashort waves. “Once one of the employees of the Soviet research institute wrote to me offering his services. Then I refused, because I did not attach any importance to this fact. But while playing with Fischer, something kept me from focusing on the game, something that I still can't explain.” (From an interview with Boris Spassky to the Greater Moscow portal). The secret services tried to prove that the Americans used the equipment in order to prevent Spassky from winning, but the attempts were unsuccessful.
About the chocolate sent by Henry Kissinger to Bobby Fischer in the State Security Committee remembered after the defeat. In order to get his secret recipe, Soviet intelligence officers were sent to the United States, but the FBI managed to repel spy attacks and detain the intelligence officers. The saga of capturing the chocolate recipe was not successful.
Feature of the seventies was that sports events were actively included in political games. They were already not only a way to find out who is better and who is worse, but also an opportunity to establish diplomatic relations with other countries. For example, the period of “ping-pong diplomacy” is the early 70s, when American diplomats were able to establish relations with China thanks to the frequent trips of tennis players from the United States to China. Sport is becoming one of the powerful political tools, the “Match of the Century” between Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer is a clear confirmation.
Magnus Carlsen
By the way, Magnus Carlsen, the Norwegian grandmaster, the 16th world chess champion, who has been holding the first line of the highest world chess rating for more than 10 years, considers green tea and dark chocolate to be one of the most important factors in his victories. A personal chef prepares chocolate for him according to a special recipe. Maybe the US shared with him their secret recipe for space chocolate?