King's Gambit to Crown the King! First encounter of Fischer and Spassky

Mar del Plata (1960)

The 23rd Mar del Plata International Chess Tournament was held in Mar del Plata, Argentina (1) from March 29th to April 15th. Among the longtime participants of the event and the field of Argentinian masters, four grandmasters were invited to compete. Bobby Fischer was participating on behalf of the United States for the second time, while the Soviet Union sent David Bronstein and Boris Spassky to represent them, and Fridrik Olafsson journeyed from Iceland. While neither player was new to international chess, the 17 year old Fischer and the 23 year old Spassky drew a great deal of attention to themselves by dominating the event, both of them tying for first place with 13½/15. Spassky had defeated Fischer in their individual encounter and gone undefeated, but Fischer's results were not lost on the Soviets who perceived him as a potential challenger to their long reign in international chess.

PGN:
1. e4 e5 2. f4 ef4 3. Nf3 g5 4. h4 g4 5. Ne5 Nf6 6. d4 d6 7. Nd3 Ne4 8. Bf4 Bg7 9. Nc3?! Nc3 10. bc3 c5 11. Be2 cd4 12. O-O Nc6 13. Bg4 O-O 14. Bc8 Rc8 15. Qg4 f5 16. Qg3 dc3 17. Rae1 Kh8 18. Kh1 Rg8 19. Bd6 Bf8 20. Be5 Ne5 21. Qe5 Rg7 22. Rf5 Qh4 23. Kg1 Qg4 24. Rf2 Be7 25. Re4 Qg5 26. Qd4 Rf8 27. Re5 Rd8 28. Qe4 Qh4 29. Rf4

Bobby Fischer was a record-setting chess master who became the youngest player to win the U.S. Chess Championship at 14, and the first American-born player to win the World Chess Championship.

Bobby Fischer was born on March 9, 1943, in Chicago, Illinois. Fischer first learned the game of chess at age 6 and eventually became the youngest international grand master at the age of 15. In 1972, he became the first American-born world chess champion after defeating Boris Spassky. An eccentric genius, who was believed to have an I.Q. of 181, Fischer became known for his controversial public remarks in his later years. He was granted Icelandic citizenship in 2005, following legal trouble with the United States. He died on January 17, 2008.

Early Life
Robert James Fischer was born in Chicago, Illinois, on March 9, 1943. Fischer's parents divorced when he was a toddler, and he began learning chess at the age of 6 after his older sister Joan bought him a chess set. He continued to hone his skills as a youngster at the Brooklyn Chess Club and Manhattan Chess Club. Fischer had a strained relationship with his mother, who supported his chess endeavors, but preferred that he pursue other areas of interest.
A brilliant, highly competitive player who lost himself in the game, Fischer earned a place in the record books at age 14 when he became the youngest player to win the U.S. Chess Championship. Then in 1958, at 15, he became the youngest international grand master in history by winning the related tournament in Portoroz, Yugoslavia (now Slovenia).

Match of the Century
During the early 1960s, Fischer continued to be involved in U.S. and world championship matches, but was also making a name for himself with his erratic, paranoid commentary. After having a 20-game winning streak in the early 1970s, Fischer once again made chess history in 1972 with his defeat of the Soviet Union's Boris Spassky at the Reykjavik, Iceland world championships, thus marking the first time an American chess player had won the title. Fischer's defeat of a Soviet opponent, which became known as the "Match of the Century," took on iconic proportions in the midst of the Cold War and was seen as a symbolic victory of democracy over Communism. Fischer's historic win also made chess a popular game in the United States.
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[ianson]

"Boris Spassky was responsible for making Fischer a bit more normal than he was." Classic.

[fscii]

Kasparov said Spassky played the kings gambit for 30 years and never lost a single game.

[dnickaroo]

This may be the Tournament I read about years ago. Bobby Fischer was having psychological problems and it appeared that he might stay in his room and not finish the Tournament. The article said that Spassky went to his room and said something like:"Come down and play Bobby. It is no fun if you are not there."
Years later when Bobby was in jail in Japan for about 10 months, Spassky wrote to George W. Bush asking him to show Fischer "some mercy". If not, Spassky suggested that he should be jailed also! With both in jail together with a Chess Set, they would have been happy!

[usfazli]

You are great and the games you cover are beautiful

[ahmetuzun]

I think Spassky is the most underrated chess player in history with Petrosian. People are talking about Kasparov, Fisher, Carlsen, Capablanca, Tail or Karpov but they do not know anything about Spassky and Petrosian.

[Shockprowl]

That was a fascinating game. And a fascinating chapter of chess history. It's amazing to consider that these two, Spassky and Fischer, despite everything, were friends of sorts. It's remarkable.

[The_Kirk_Lazarus]

I have a lot more respect for Boris Spassky now than I did before this video. I mean, it was a large amount of respect to begin with but he definitely earned some extra brownie points from that story.

[jairofonseca]

The dog did not like the game 3:40, hahaha.

[MrEsMysteriesMagicks]

Some years later, Fischer wrote an article (perhaps for Chess Life, but I am not sure about that) that supposedly completely refuted the King's Gambit (at least in his mind although later analysis suggests that Bobby's assertion may be premature). I wonder if this game was the inspiration for Fischer's ideas.

[marianori]

Excellent stuff - I didn't know the KG was played by such GM's - or later WC to be precise. Thank you - and the more I study Spassky the more I admire him - unfortunately for him to be in the chess shadows of Fischer - but honestly - who isn't?

[RossFigurepaintingCoUK]

3.40" when Bobby "blundered" your (and I think the engine's) suggestion was Black- Rc-d8. Why can White not just take C3? Bc5 no longer works. If black sacrifices the exchange to remove the knight - RxNd3 then cxd3 and Bc5 still doesnt work due to d4. Looks pretty good for white to me from there. What is the response to Qxc3 that I am missing? I hope someone can help - I have spent far too long staring at this one position! :)
Another great vid- working through all of them. Thanks Aga x

[sage]

2:30 it’s not like white’s pawn structure is any better lol

[ozymandiasrealista]

The fanatics Fischer fans refused look this game. in the head them, Fischer come in 72 like a Aquiles in Troya hunting Hector!

[jeremiahdaniel]

I came here from your latest photo challenge: The Gentleman

[dead_machine]

Great! One more very good video. Do you have any recommendations for books to learn to play chess better?

[ryanwolfe]

#suggestion @agadmator can you cover this game, from utut adianto one of the strongest Indonesian grandmasters. I think you have enough subscribers from Indonesia, and also I think you have never covered an Indonesian chess grandmaster ... I think the beauty of this game is worthy of your coverage...
Alexander Baburin (2530) vs Utut Adianto (2510)
Liechtenstein (1993), LIE Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation (D25)

[PJJ]

wait a second... when fischer resigns.. why wouldn't fischer capture the G2 Pawn with his G7 Rook .. giving a check.. then if the King captures he swings his other to hit him with a check and then improve with additional checks.. i feel that was playable.. when the rook initially captures checking the king, spassky cant use the queen because when the second rook swings, he pins the queen winning the queen.. fischer would then have a queen and bishop against the 2 rooks and the knight

[RPJ]

Why the slides? It is creating problem.

[Infamous_V.I.P]

This can't be real. Fischer doesn't blunder.

[Britishbirdsnests]

This was the game they showed in pawn sacrifice was it not?