YUGOSLAVIA: Bobby Fischer triumphantly back in competitive chess by beating former World Championship rival Boris Spassky

Record ID: 575487

  • Title: YUGOSLAVIA: Bobby Fischer triumphantly back in competitive chess by beating former World Championship rival Boris Spassky
  • Date: 5th November 1992
  • Summary: BELGRADE, YUGOSLAVIA (NOVEMBER 5 AND 6, 1992) (NOVEMBER 5) BOBBY FISCHER, BORIS SPASSKY AND JEZDIMAR VASILJEVIC, GENERAL SPONSOR OF THE MATCH, ON STAGE. FISCHER WITH GARLAND AROUND NECK THANKING AUDIENCE (ENGLISH) - YOU ARE MOST CHARMING, AND YOU ARE A GREAT AUDIENCE. I HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN VERY SOON OFFICIALS APPLAUD AS FISCHER WALKS OFF (2 SHOTS) BOARD SHOWING FISCHER VICTORY (NOVEMBER 6) NEWS CONFERENCE FISCHER SPEAKING (ENGLISH) - I THINK THE CONDITIONS WERE NEARLY PERFECT, AND I'M VERY PLEASED WITH EVERYTHING. I'M PLEASED WITH THE RESULT OF THE MATCH, I'M PLEASED WITH MY PLAY SPASSKY TALKING (ENGLISH). (2 SHOTS) - GENERALLY I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH BOBBY ABOUT THE MATCH. I'D JUST LIKE TO ADD THAT PROBABLY THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS MATCH, BOBBY PROBABLY DOES NOT UNDERSTAND AT THIS MOMENT. MAYBE AFTER ONE, TWO, THREE YEARS, THE SIGNIFICANCE OF WHAT REALLY HAPPPENED HERE WILL BE MORE CLEAR FOR THE CHESS PUBLIC, FOR THE WORLD OF CHESS, IN MUCH BETTER ASPECT CHESS BOARD AS OFFICIALS SHAKE HANDS IN SEMI-DARKNESS
  • Embargoed: 20th November 1992 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BELGRADE, YUGOSLAVIA
  • City:
  • Country: Yugoslavia
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA8BW2IF9C2GJIQUFF0TF61HNKY
  • Story Text: Bobby Fischer of the United States (U.S.) planted himself triumphantly back in competitive chess on Thursday (November 5) by beating his former World Championship rival, Boris Spassky.

    Fischer, who withdrew into obscurity after snatching the world title from Spassky in 1972, took two months and 30 games to clinch the 'revenge' series against Spassky, held in Yugoslavia.

    He won the series 10-5 and received a 3.35 million United States dollar prize.

    Spassky, who suffered from ill health throughout the series, conceded he had a bad game on Thursday, but seemed happy enough with his 1.65 million dollar prize. He said the significance of the match was not understood at the moment, but would be much clearer to the chess-watching public in two or three years' time.

    The two men played in defiance of United Nations sanctions imposed on Yugoslavia because of its alleged involvement in the war in neighbouring Bosnia-Herzegovina. Fischer had also been warned by the U.S. Treasury that he could be fined or even jailed for violating the sanctions.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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