The Match of all Time, Gudmundur G. Thorarinsson

The Match of all Time de Gudmundur G. Thorarinsson. Ouvrage de 240 pages.

When the Icelandic Chess Federation made a bid to host the 1972 world title match between Soviet icon Boris Spassky and American challenger Bobby Fischer, many Icelanders were rightly shaking their heads in disbelief. How could their small island country in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean with a population of less than 300 thousand people stage such a prestigious event in the first place? Fifty years on, the organiser and president of the Icelandic Chess Federation, Gudmundur Thorarinsson has written a tell-all book about ‘The Match of the Century’, crammed with behind-the-scenes stories and improbable twists and turns. Reading his gripping account of probably the most iconic sports contest during the Cold War, you will understand why he prefers to call it ‘The Match of All Time’.

009 Foreword

012 It is impossible to escape your destiny

013 1) Prologue

021 2) The origins of chess

039 3) World Chess Champions from unofficial to official

065 4) Prelude to the match of 1972

111 5) The Match of All Time

175 6) The aftermath

207 Bobby Fischer - In Memory of a Master

215 Acknowledgements

217 Sources

219 Register of names