Chess legend Bobby Fischer, showing he'd lost neither his tendency for oddness nor his potential for brilliance, has defeated his old rival Boris Spassky in a controversial rematch.
The former world champion pocketed the $3.35 million first prize after winning the 30th game Thursday for a 10-5 victory. Spassky took home $1.65 million for nine weeks of work."It was a very good match, and Boris was a great opponent," Fischer said Thursday.
Spassky, 55, a Russian-born French citizen called the match "very surrealistic."
"As for my chess career, I think that my future's in the past. But as for chess, this is tremendous," he said.
Fischer captured the world chess championship by beating Spassky in 1972. The International Chess Federation stripped Fischer of the title in 1975 after he refused to defend it against Anatoly Karpov.
Fischer insisted the rematch was for the world title, but it was not sanctioned by the chess federation.
Here are the moves and final positions in Game 30:
King's Indian Defense, Samisch Variation
Spassky Fischer
(White) (Black)
1. d4 Nf6
2. c4 g6
3. Nc3 Bg7
4. e4 d6
5. f3 0-0
6. Be3 Nc6
7. Nge2 a6
8. h4 h5
9. Nc1 Nd7
10. Nb3 a5
11. a4 Nb4
12. Be2 b6
13. g4 hxg4
14. fxg4 c5
15. h5 cxd4
16. Nxd4 Nc5
17. Nd5 Bb7
18. Nf5 gxf5
19. gxf5 Bxd5
20. exd5 Bxb2
21. Kf1 Qd7
22. Qb1 Bxa1
23. Rg1+ Kh8
24. Qxa1+ f6
25. Qb1 Rg8
26. Rg6 Rxg6
27. hxg6 Kg7
White resigns
Final positions:
White: Kf1, Qb1, Be2, Be3, a4, c4, d5, f5 g6
Black: Kg7, Qd7, Ra8, Nb4, Nc5, a5, b6, d6, e7, f6