LaviChess

Fischer vs. Spassky, Game 6

Bobby Fischer, who usually opened with 1.e4, plays the Queen's Gambit for the first time in a serious game, and plays it flawlessly. When it was over, Spassky applauded.

In the summer of 1972, the reigning world champion Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union and the American Bobby Fischer met in the Laugardalshöll in Reykjavik. The match was called the Match of the Century and was played during the Cold War. Soviet players had held the world title since 1948.

After five games the score was 2½–2½. Before the match, the Soviet team training Spassky had discussed whether Fischer might open with something other than his usual 1.e4. According to Nikolai Krogius, who was on the team, Spassky brushed the question aside: they shouldn't bother with such nonsense, he would play the Tartakower, and he didn't see what Fischer could achieve with it.

On July 23, Fischer opened with 1.c4, for the third time in a serious game. After 3.d4 it was a Queen's Gambit Declined, an opening many had never seen him play with White.

The players

Bobby Fischer (1943–2008) won his first U.S. Championship at fourteen, and in 1964 he won it 11–0, the only perfect score in the championship's history. On the way to the world championship match he beat Mark Taimanov and Bent Larsen 6–0 in the Candidates matches. After Reykjavik he became the eleventh world champion and the first born in the United States.

Boris Spassky (1937–2025) became world champion in 1969 by beating Tigran Petrosian, to whom he had lost three years earlier. He was the last in the unbroken line of Soviet world champions since 1948.

The game move by move

Step through with the arrows or tap a move. Moves with a dot have a comment.

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Bobby Fischer has the white pieces, Boris Spassky the black.

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Guess the moves Fischer played, one at a time. The move from the game earns two points, and a move Lavi thinks is about as good earns one. The other side's moves and the game's notes come as you go.

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The moments that decided it

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After 20.e4: the key move of the game strikes at Black's center.
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After 38.Rxf6: the exchange sacrifice tears open Black's king's position.

The end

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The final position after 41.Qf4. Black resigned after 41.Qf4.

Why the game is famous

The chess writer C.H.O'D. Alexander summed it up: “This game was notable for two things. First, Fischer played the Queen's Gambit for the first time in his life in a serious game; second, he played it to perfection, the game indeed casting doubt on Black's whole opening system.”

After the game, Spassky joined the audience in applauding. Fischer was astonished and called him “a true sportsman.” The win gave Fischer the lead in the match for the first time, 3½–2½, and in the end he won 12½–8½.

The whole game with notes, as text

1. c4 The surprise. Fischer usually opened with 1.e4, and this was the third time he had played 1.c4 in a serious game. 1… e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. d4 Now it is a Queen's Gambit Declined. Many had never seen Fischer play it with White. 3… Nf6 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bg5 O-O 6. e3 h6 7. Bh4 b6 The Tartakower Defense, Spassky's favorite. He had never lost with it. 8. cxd5 Nxd5 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10. Nxd5 exd5 11. Rc1 Be6 12. Qa4 c5 13. Qa3 Rc8 14. Bb5 A move introduced in the game Furman–Geller, Moscow 1970. 14… a6 Efim Geller, one of Spassky's seconds, had shown him 14…Qb7, the move with which Geller himself beat Jan Timman in 1973. Spassky seems to have forgotten it. 15. dxc5 bxc5 16. O-O Ra7 17. Be2 Nd7 18. Nd4 Qf8 19. Nxe6 fxe6 20. e4 This has been called the key move of the game. White strikes at Black's center, and Black has no good answer: 20…dxe4 is met by 21.Rc4, and Black's pawns become weak. 20… d4 Now Black's pawns can't advance any further, and the white bishop has free play. 21. f4 According to Vlastimil Hort, White now has the upper hand. 21… Qe7 22. e5 Rb8 23. Bc4 Kh8 24. Qh3 Nf8 25. b3 a5 26. f5 From here on, White's attack steadily gains momentum. 26… exf5 27. Rxf5 Nh7 28. Rcf1 Qd8 29. Qg3 Re7 30. h4 Rbb7 31. e6 The passed pawn moves on to e6. 31… Rbc7 32. Qe5 Qe8 33. a4 Qd8 34. R1f2 Qe8 35. R2f3 Qd8 36. Bd3 Qe8 37. Qe4 Nf6 38. Rxf6 White gives up the rook for the knight, an exchange sacrifice that tears open Black's king's position. 38… gxf6 39. Rxf6 Kg8 40. Bc4 Kh8 41. Qf4 White threatens Qxh6+, among other things. Spassky resigned.

PGN – the game as text for other chess programs
[Event "1972 World Championship match, game 6"]
[Site "Reykjavik"]
[Date "1972.07.23"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bobby Fischer"]
[Black "Boris Spassky"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D59"]

1. c4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bg5 O-O 6. e3 h6 7. Bh4 b6 8. cxd5 Nxd5 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10. Nxd5 exd5 11. Rc1 Be6 12. Qa4 c5 13. Qa3 Rc8 14. Bb5 a6 15. dxc5 bxc5 16. O-O Ra7 17. Be2 Nd7 18. Nd4 Qf8 19. Nxe6 fxe6 20. e4 d4 21. f4 Qe7 22. e5 Rb8 23. Bc4 Kh8 24. Qh3 Nf8 25. b3 a5 26. f5 exf5 27. Rxf5 Nh7 28. Rcf1 Qd8 29. Qg3 Re7 30. h4 Rbb7 31. e6 Rbc7 32. Qe5 Qe8 33. a4 Qd8 34. R1f2 Qe8 35. R2f3 Qd8 36. Bd3 Qe8 37. Qe4 Nf6 38. Rxf6 gxf6 39. Rxf6 Kg8 40. Bc4 Kh8 41. Qf4 1-0

Download .pgn

Sources

  • Chessgames.com, Fischer–Spassky 1972, game 6
  • Wikipedia: World Chess Championship 1972
  • PGN Mentor, Fischer.pgn

The moves compared in three sources (Chessgames, Wikipedia, PGN Mentor): identical, 81 half-moves. Spassky resigned after 41.Qf4. The date from Wikipedia and Chessgames. Every move has also been replayed by computer and checked against the rules of chess.

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Updated November 6, 2026