A
The Game of Kings 19 Jun 1969, Thu The Gazette (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) Newspapers.com
B. Spassky Wins World Championship
A new world champion was crowned when challenger Boris Spassky, 32, succeeded in wresting the title from Tigran Petrosian, 40, by the score of 12½ pts. to 10½. Spassky won the 4th, 5th, 8th, 17th, 19th and 21st games, Petrosian the 1st, 10th, 11th and 20th, with the other 13 games drawn. Petrosian had held the title since 1963 when he defeated M. Botvinnik, and successfully defended it against Spassky in 1966.
This match must be considered a great one in the long history of the championship both from the caliber of play, the clash of dissimilar styles, ideas and temperaments, and the closeness of the score throughout, which kept the chess world on edge for two months.
The 17th game from the World Championship Match, Moscow:
Boris Spassky vs Tigran V Petrosian
Petrosian - Spassky World Championship Match (1969), Moscow URS, rd 17, May-28
Sicilian Defense: Kan. Modern Variation (B42) 1-0
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Bd3 Nc6 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. O-O d5 8. Nd2 Nf6 9. b3 Bb4 10. Bb2 a5 11. c3 Be7 12. c4 O-O 13. Qc2 h6 14. a3 Ba6 15. Rfe1 Qb6 16. exd5 cxd5 17. cxd5 Bxd3 18. Qxd3 Rfd8 19. Nc4(a) Qa6 20. Qf3 Rxd5 21. Rad1 Rf5(b) 22. Qg3 Rg5 23. Qc7 Re8 24. Bxf6 gxf6(c) 25. Rd7 Rc8 26. Qb7 Qxb7 27. Rxb7 Kf8 28. a4 Bb4 29. Re3 Rd8 30. g3 Rd1+ 31. Kg2 Rc5 32. Rf3 f5 33. g4 Rd4 34. gxf5 exf5 35. Rb8+ Ke7 36. Re3+ Kf6 37. Rb6+ Kg7 38. Rg3+ Kf8 39. Rb8+ Ke7 40. Re3+ Kf6 41. Rb6+ Kg7 42. Rg3+(d) Kf8 43. Rxh6 f4 44. Rgh3 Kg7 45. R6h5 f3+ 46. Kg3 Rxh5 47. Rxh5 Rd3 48. Nxa5 Kg6 49. Rb5 Bxa5 50. Rxa5 Rxb3 51. Ra8 Ra3 52. a5 Kg5 53. a6 Kg6 54. a7 Kg7 55. h4 Kh7 56. h5 Kg7 57. h6+ Kh7 58. Kf4 Resigns
(a) With his Q-side pawn majority, and a QRP target, White has the edge.
(b) An adventure that does not turn out well. Simply the conservative 21. … QR-Q1.
(c) If 24. … BxB; 25. R-Q7 R-KB1; 26. N-Q6.
(d) All this to gain time on the clock before adjournment, as Black must continue, because of the state of the score, in the hope of a slip by White.
B.C. Man Heads Council 19 Jun 1969, Thu The Gazette (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) Newspapers.com
