What a brilliant subject for a Listener. We stayed in the Reykjavik hotel just a few years back where the US team were based throughout the 1972 Fischer-Spassky tournament. They had one of the actual game tables there (see attached), which was designed especially for the event – several were made for use during the (up to) 24-game tournament.

It’s reported, of course, that when Bobby Fischer beat Boris Spassky in this game (game 6), Boris stood and joined with the audience in applauding Bobby’s play. This was the game in which Fischer moved ahead for the first time in the tournament, which he maintained until reaching the required 12.5 points by game 21. For those too young to remember, this was in the middle of the Cold War and the tournament itself seemed to symbolise – in the eyes of many in the media, at least – the battle between the USA and the USSR. Hence Crash’s excellent choice of Title.

And here’s my draft grid before the final erasures and before Fischer’s final Qf4!!! move:

I suspect I wasn’t the only solver trying to shoehorn RED CORAL into 31a: this held me up in the SE corner for a while, until I spotted UNAU as the Native of Peru in 32d. Also, given my interest in the subject, I was faintly embarrassed how long it took me to spot what the theme actually was. So it goes.

Tim / Encota