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The King's Men Sun, Jan 16, 1972 – Page 53 · The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky) · Newspapers.com
Fischer says title-match loss to Spassky would be a fluke by Merrill Dowden
Unless you're a night owl, chances are you missed the appearance of Bobby Fischer on the Dick Cavett television show earlier this month. It was well past midnight when the lanky young American grandmaster, confident and smiling, came on camera and gave his views on his upcoming world championship match with Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union.
Cavett: “What would you think if, by some mischance, you should lose to Spassky? What would it do to your ego?”
Fischer: “It wouldn't worry me too much. I would just consider it a fluke.”
This brought laugher from the studio audience, but one got the feeling that Fischer would indeed consider loss of the match an upset of major proportions, despite the fact that Spassky is the only player in the world who holds a plus score on him.
Fischer's optimism seems well justified, however, in view of his unprecedented string of victories since he last played the world champion. He pointed out that Spassky lost a match with former world champion Tigran Petrosian since Fischer defeated Petrosian so decisively at Buenos Aires in the finals of the world challenge series.
Fischer said details of the match with Spassky have not been worked out, but that play must begin before June 30. Play in the 24-game confrontation probably will get under way in April or May at a site yet to be selected.
