The match of the century

It’s hard to imagine today, but in the summer of 1972, the whole world had its eyes fixed on Reykjavik, where the world chess championship was being played. The match between Fischer and Spassky seemed to embody all the great themes of the time. USA against USSR, capitalism against communism, “a match that would decide the outcome of the Cold War.” (Alberto Crespi, “L’Unità”, 4 September 2011)

“The Cold War was both a forced balance and a challenge. On the delicate front of nuclear weapons and the atomic bomb, there was a need for absolute balance, for equilibrium. On all other fronts, the United States and the Soviet Union had to challenge each other, they could do it. The Olympics, the race to conquer space, chess. The third great field of confrontation was chess itself, and this was the field in which Soviet dominance was unchallenged.” (A.A. V.V. “Un tempo, una vita”, pag. 22, Feltrinelli editore)

“His victory would be a Sputnik in reverse”

New York Times

The stakes couldn’t be higher in political terms; to the public, these were two enemies, not fighting a real war but challenging each other with strategies.

“These tournaments had always been won by Russians and I thought it would be good for America and democracy to have an American winner”