The Signal Santa Clarita, California Wednesday, January 10, 1968 - Page 14
Temperament In Tunisia
The 23 participants here at the Inter-Zonal were all agreed that Bobby Fischer, USA, and two Russians, Victor Korchnoi and Leonid Stein, would be among the six finalists. The big problem here was who would be the other three to qualify. It seemed certain to be between Larsen (Denmark), Portisch (Hungary), Gligoric, Ivkov, Matanovic and Matulovic (all of Yugoslavia), Geller and Gipslis (Russia).
At the start, Fischer and Larsen showed the amount of fight. This was partially because the other favorites were playing their own countrymen first and were not toi inclined to battle it out. In the morning, at the beach, one could tell who was going to draw his afternoon game. If the player sunbathed all through the morning in the strong Mediterranean sun, a quick draw was the order of the day.
There was no question that Robert Fischer was the star of the tournament's start. Yet that was not to last. In one of the more unhappy and inexplicable chapters in the life of this young chess genius, Fischer failed to show up for three different matches, and so forfeited his chances.
Near the beginning of the tournament, “Soviet Sport” reported on Bobby's behavior, though the magazine, in attributing it to mere “antics,” may have been guilty of too simple an explanation: “These important contests have had a peculiar effect on Fischer. Thus, while playing the New Zealander, Sarapu, he changed places several times. The American Champion stopped his clock if a photographer came on the scene or spectators exchanged opinions about the coursed the game. Such uncalled-for antics used up a quarter of an hour. When Fischer began his career, every-one praised the youngster and excused his quirks because of his age. Now, he is not little Bobby more. He Robert. He is 24 years old, and his antics fail to impress the Grand-masters…”
Kavalek and Fischer fought a spirited battle in the fifth round. White sacrifices his QNP in a fashionable variation of the Sicilian Defense, but lags behind in development and has to beat off Black's attack. A year and a half ago. Fischer lost to Geller at Monte Carlo using this line and now adapts it playing the Black pieces.
Kavalek proves equal to the challenge, sacrificing a piece to work up a dangerous threat against Fischer's King. After a fierce fight the game ends in a draw by perpetual check.
