In the summer of 1972 in Reykjavik, Iceland, the American Bobby Fischer played the Soviet world champion Boris Spassky in a match seen as a Cold War duel. After a first game in which he blundered and a second game forfeited when he refused to play because of the cameras, Fischer came back to win by 12.5 to 8.5, ending 24 years of Soviet domination of the title on 1 September. The match drew worldwide attention, with chess in the news and on television. Fischer never defended his title: he refused to play Anatoly Karpov in 1975 and was stripped of the crown, and he lived as a recluse until his death in Iceland in 2008.
Before and after
- 23 June 1972Title IX is signed into law in the United States
- 15 August 1972Birth of Ben Affleck
- 30 August 1972Birth of Cameron Diaz
- September 1972Munich massacre
- 1 September 1972Bobby Fischer wins the World Chess Championship
- 6 September 1972Birth of Idris Elba
- 27 September 1972Birth of Gwyneth Paltrow
- 17 October 1972Birth of Eminem
- November 1972Always on My Mind
More in Society, economy & sport
- 24 October 1945Founding of United Nations
- 5 October 1948Founding of International Union for Conservation of Nature
- 5 May 1949Founding of Council of Europe
- 1960Founding of Somalia
- 1 October 1963Founding of Nigeria
- 1985Introduction of new shekel
The era
This moment belongs to the Contemporary world (1945 CE to today), the world since 1945. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.