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Quiz about Spassky v Fischer Reykjavik 1972

Spassky v Fischer - Reykjavik 1972 Quiz

This was an iconic contest that took place at the height of the Cold War. Please note that this quiz covers the more technical aspects, so good knowledge of the match, chess, and the people surrounding it would be an advantage.

A multiple-choice quiz by timoggy. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
timoggy

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
404,034

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
15

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
8 / 15

Plays
118

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 15

1. How many games had Fischer & Spassky played against each other prior to 1972? Hint

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Question 2 of 15

2. Of the games they played against each other prior to 1972, how many did Fischer win? Hint

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Question 3 of 15

3. In the games they played against each other prior to 1972, with which defense did Fischer respond when Spassky opened with 1.d4?
Hint

King's Indian

Gr�nfeld

Modern Benoni

Nimzo Indian

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Question 4 of 15

4. In the three games they played against each other prior to 1972 that opened with 1.e4, two were Ruy Lopez, what opening was the other? Hint

Sicilian

Pirc-Robatsch

King's Gambit

Alekhine's

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Question 5 of 15

5. Of the cities that initially offered to host the match, Reykjavik was Spassky's first choice. Which city was Fischer's first choice? Hint

Z�rich

Buenos Aires

Belgrade

Paris

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Question 6 of 15

6. Who was president of FIDE (the World Chess governing body) at the time and chaired the negotiations between champion and challenger?
Hint

Max Euwe

Fridrik �lafsson

Folke Rogard

Florencio Campomanes

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Question 7 of 15

7. When Fischer was in dispute with the match organisers, which British businessman made an offer that helped ensure that the match went ahead? Hint

Richard Davies

David Andrews

James Slater

Robert Arnold

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Question 8 of 15

8. Who was Spassky's official second for the match? Hint

Efim Geller

Evgeni Vasiukov

Nikolai Krogius

Igor Bondarevsky

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Question 9 of 15

9. Who was Fischer's official second for the match? Hint

William Lombardy

Robert Byrne

Larry Evans

Anthony Saidy

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Question 10 of 15

10. Which German Grandmaster was the Arbiter (Referee) for the match?
Hint

Wolfgang Unzicker

Wolfgang Uhlmann

Klaus Darga

Lothar Schmid

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Question 11 of 15

11. Having lost the first two games, which defense did Fischer adopt with Black in game 3? Hint

Nimzo Indian

Gr�nfeld

Modern Benoni

King's Indian

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Question 12 of 15

12. Which opening did Fischer employ with White in game 6 that he had never previously played in his career? Hint

Bird's

Nimzowitsch-Larsen

Queen's Gambit

English

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Question 13 of 15

13. Whose variation of the Ruy Lopez did Spassky employ in the pivotal game 10? Hint

Mikhail Chigorin

Julius Breyer

Vasily Smyslov

Savielly Tartakower

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Question 14 of 15

14. Against which variation in the Sicilian defence did Spassky play an improved line that netted him the win in game 11? Hint

Richter-Rauzer

Poisoned Pawn

Kan

Scheveningen

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Question 15 of 15

15. Which variation in the Sicilian did Fischer employ in game 21 which earned him the winning point in the match? Hint

Sozin

Richter-Rauzer

Kan

Najdorf

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. How many games had Fischer & Spassky played against each other prior to 1972?

Answer: 5

They first met in 1960 at Mar del Plata, Argentina. They then met twice at Santa Monica, USA in 1966 and twice more at Olympiads; at Havana, Cuba in 1966 and at Siegen, Germany in 1970.

2. Of the games they played against each other prior to 1972, how many did Fischer win?

Answer: 0

Of the five games they played, Spassky won three and the other two were drawn.

3. In the games they played against each other prior to 1972, with which defense did Fischer respond when Spassky opened with 1.d4?

Answer: Gr�nfeld

The same opening happened on two occasions and both games followed a similar pattern; Fischer got a decent opening and achieved equality but Spassky outplayed him in the middle game and won.

4. In the three games they played against each other prior to 1972 that opened with 1.e4, two were Ruy Lopez, what opening was the other?

Answer: King's Gambit

Spassky was known as an advocate of the King's Gambit and Fischer fancied his chances with black against it so he deviated from his norm to allow Spassky to play it. Spassky did not get a good opening and Fischer had a chance to force an advantageous ending, but when he failed to do this he quickly blundered and lost.

5. Of the cities that initially offered to host the match, Reykjavik was Spassky's first choice. Which city was Fischer's first choice?

Answer: Belgrade

Spassky preferred Reykjavik because the climate was similar to his native Saint Petersburg. Fischer had always been popular in Yugoslavia following his performances there in both 1958 and 1959.

6. Who was president of FIDE (the World Chess governing body) at the time and chaired the negotiations between champion and challenger?

Answer: Max Euwe

Euwe was World Champion between 1935 & 1937. The 1972 Championship was his first as FIDE president and it could hardly have been a more demanding one! The fact that the match went ahead at all was a testament to his skills as a mediator.

7. When Fischer was in dispute with the match organisers, which British businessman made an offer that helped ensure that the match went ahead?

Answer: James Slater

Slater personally guaranteed the previously agreed prize pot to the players if the match went ahead.

8. Who was Spassky's official second for the match?

Answer: Efim Geller

Geller was a World Championship Candidate himself in 1971 before losing to Viktor Korchnoi.

9. Who was Fischer's official second for the match?

Answer: William Lombardy

In addtion to being an International Grandmaster, Lombardy was also a Roman Catholic priest.

10. Which German Grandmaster was the Arbiter (Referee) for the match?

Answer: Lothar Schmid

Schmid was one of the best correspondence chess players of his era and also won the 1980 series of the BBCTV programme "The Master Game" as a relative outsider. He was assisted in Reykjavik by Gudmundur Arnlaugsson.

11. Having lost the first two games, which defense did Fischer adopt with Black in game 3?

Answer: Modern Benoni

The Modern Benoni is known as a double-edged defense but Spassky's attack never really got going. Fischer got the upper hand early on and was able to press his advantage for a much needed win.

12. Which opening did Fischer employ with White in game 6 that he had never previously played in his career?

Answer: Queen's Gambit

Fischer was known for opening with the king's pawn almost exclusively and had been quoted as saying "I have never opened with the queen's pawn, on principle", so it must have been a surprise for Spassky to have to face it.

13. Whose variation of the Ruy Lopez did Spassky employ in the pivotal game 10?

Answer: Julius Breyer

The Breyer defence (characterised by 9. ... Nb8) was a favourite of Spassky but Fischer got an advantage in the opening and maintained it throughout the game, eventually converting it into a win to go three points in front.

14. Against which variation in the Sicilian defence did Spassky play an improved line that netted him the win in game 11?

Answer: Poisoned Pawn

The Poisoned Pawn variation of the Sicilian defence (characterised by 7. ...Qb6) was a favourite of Fischer, but Spassky's improvements (10. Bxf6 & 14. Nb1) put Fischer in a bind from which he could not escape.

15. Which variation in the Sicilian did Fischer employ in game 21 which earned him the winning point in the match?

Answer: Kan

Another unexpected choice of defence for Fischer. The game looked to be heading toawrds a draw until a Spassky error gifted him the game and the title.

Source: Author timoggy

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor WesleyCrusher before going online.
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