A look at the 1962 Botvinnik-Fischer clash
For many years, chess players associated winning with the Soviet Union and afterward, with Russia. The Soviets had created a hegemony on chess and world champions – except for Cuba's Jose Raul Capablanca and America's Bobby Fischer – during the past century, were natives of the Soviet Union.
It was during the late 1950s that Fischer, at the age of 15, became a threat to the Soviets. If Fischer or Bent Larsen of Denmark were in a tournament, the Soviets were no longer automatically assured of sweeping it. These two players from the West began to threaten the Soviet monopoly.
In 1962, Mikhail Botvinnik was the world chess champion, and was playing Board One for his country. Fischer was playing top board for America. The two were destined to clash. Botvinnik had the white pieces and Fischer answered with the Grunfeld Defence.
Former world champion Garry Kasparov made the point in his book, My Great Predecessors, "The current event of the [Varna] Olympiad was, of course, the Botvinnik-Fischer game." Although the results of the Olympiad were never in doubt since the Soviets were the prime favourites, there was a chance Fischer could defeat the world champion. The game ended in a draw. But Fischer had a winning advantage. However, analysts say Fischer simplified too early and when the game reached adjournment the win became problematic.
I replayed the game and at one stage Fischer had a significant pawn advantage.