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Witnesses, friends of finalists Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky, along with industry experts comment on the 1972 World Chess Championship, the “Match of the Century.” Spassky of the USSR, the reigning World Chess Champion at the time, was up two when he granted Fischer’s request for the games to be held in a private room sans cameras. Many believe this was a psychological ploy by Fischer that Spassky indulged–and it was the beginning of Spassky’s downfall as Fischer won this third match held backstage. The championship began on July 11, 1972 and by the last game, which took place on August 31, Fischer won: 12 and a half to eight and a half–the first U.S.-born American to win the title of World Chess Champion. The game was in Reykjavík, Iceland, and due to its hype as a Cold War confrontation, it attracted worldwide media attention.
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