In 1972 the Cold War was still raging. Three years before, Americans had walked on the moon. Now one of them tries to conquer another bastion, the title of world chess champion held by Soviets since 1946.
Chess tournaments and championships are psychologically intense for the players. There is no place for luck or chance in their sport. High intellectual and strategic qualities are required along with a great resistance to stress.
The match between the outgoing champion Boris Spassky and his challenger Bobby Fischer is held in Reykjavik, a neutral venue at mid-distance between Moscow and Washington. The political tension is extreme.
Fischer lost the first game and did not attend the second. He requests changes in equipment and organization with the risk that the match is cancelled. The interests at stake are so important that his requirements are accepted.
The set of equipment for sale is centered on the chessboard used from the seventh game up to the end of that "match of the century" won by Fischer on the final score 12 ½ - 8 ½.
The other equipment in the lot are a complete set of reserve pieces of the match, and a clock and a table similar as those which were used.
unsold
Fischer vs Spassky #chess board could make $300,000 @HeritageAuction: https://t.co/9VBcusuOwk pic.twitter.com/Y3hUDdRz4P
— JustCollecting (@just_collecting) November 5, 2016