Courier-Post Camden, New Jersey Sunday, August 10, 1980 - Page 44
Absent Fischer Still Dominates
The annual Paul Masson chess tournament was graced this year by the prestigious presence of the former world champion of chess, Grandmaster Boris Spassky.
Perhaps it was Spassky's announced visit that caused a record 762 players to flock to the Paul Mason Winery in the hills of Saratoga, Calif., where they competed for $24,000 in prizes on July 19 and 20.
Four California grandmasters, Peter Biyiasis, Walter Browne, Larry Christiansen and James Tarjan — finished with Rumanian grandmaster Florian Gheorghiu in a five-way tie for first place.
SPECULATION, however, was more concerned with another aspect of chess, according to the Oakland chess journalist Kenn Fong. The talk was over whether Spassky intended to visit Bobby Fischer, who it is rumored was living with his sister's family in nearby Palo Alto.
“Yes, I am looking for Bobby Fischer, right now,” Spassky admitted at a Friday morning press conference. “But I think I must be very discreet, because at all times he asks his friends not to give any information about meetings and conversations.”
Spassky expressed mock anxiety over the rapidly improving abilities of chess-playing computers. But a former world champion, Dr. Max Euwe, who was also present, reassured him; “Don't worry, they'll never beat the world champion.”
THE DIAGRAMMED GAME is a convincing win from the 1979 Tilburg Tournament by Spassky over Robert Hubner of West Germany, one of four official candidates now vying for the right to play Anatoly Karpov for his world title.
