The 48 Laws Of Power

OBSERVANCEOFTHELAW

In
May

of

1972,

chess

champion

Boris

Spasskyanxiously

awaitedhisrival

Bobby

Fischerin

Reylqavik,

Iceland.Thetwomenhadbeenscheduledto

meetfortheWorld

Championship

of

Chess,

butFischer

had

not

arrived

on

timeandthematchwasonhold.Fischerhad

problems

withthesizeofthe

prizemoney,problems

withthe

way

the

money

wastobe

distributed,

problems

withthe

logistics

of

holding

thematchinIceland.He

might

back

out

at

any

moment.

Spassky

triedtobe

patient.

HisRussianbossesfelt

that

Fischer

washu—

miliating

himandtoldhimtowalk

away,

but

Spassky

wantedthismatch.

Heknewhecould

destroyFischer,

and

nothing

was

going

to

spoil

the

greatestvictory

ofhiscareer.“Soitseemsthatallourwork

may

cometo

nothing,”Spassky

told

acomrade. “Butwhatcanwedo?Itis

Bobby’s

move.Ifhe

comes,

we

play.

Ifhe

doesnot

come;

we

do

not

play.

Aman

whois

willing

tocommitsuicidehastheinitiative.”

Fischer

finally

arrivedin

Reykjavik,

butthe

problems,

andthethreat

of

cancellation,

continued.Hedislikedthehallwherethematchwastobe

fought,

hecriticizedthe

lighting,

he

complained

aboutthenoiseofthe

cameras,

heevenhated

thechairsinwhichheand

Spassky

weretosit

NowtheSovietUniontooktheinitiativeandthreatenedtowithdrawtheir

man.

Thebluff

apparently

worked:Afteralltheweeksof

waiting,

theend-

less

and

infuriatingnegotiations,

Fischer

agreed

to

play.Everyone

wasre-

lieved,

no one more than

Spassky.

But on the

day

of the ofiicial

introductions,

Fischerarrived

very

late,

andonthe

day

whenthe“Match

ofthe

Century”

wasto

begin,

hewaslate

again.

This

fime,however,

the

consequences

wouldbedire:Ifheshowed

up

toolatehewouldforfeitthe

first

game.

Whatwas

going

on?Washe

playing

somesortofmind

game?

Or

was

Bobby

Fischer

perhaps

afraidofBoris

Spassky?

Itseemedtotheas-

sembled

grand

masters,

andto

Spassky,

thatthis

young

kidfrom

Brooklyn

hadaterriblecaseofthe

jitters.

At5:09Fischershowed

up,

exactly

one

minutebeforethematchwastobecanceled.

Thefirst

game

ofachesstournamentis

critical,

sinceitsetsthetonefor

themonthstocome.

It

isoften

a

slowand

quietstruggle,

withthetwo

play-

ers

preparing

themselvesforthewarand

trying

toreadeachother’sstrate-

gies.

This

game

was different. Fischermadeaterriblemove

early

on,

perhaps

theworstofhis

career,

andwhen

Spassky

hadhimonthe

ropes,

heseemedto

giveup.

Yet

Spassky

knewthatFischernever

gaveup.

Even

when

facing

checkmate,

he

fought

tothe

bitter

end,

wearing

the

opponent

down.This

time,

though,

heseemed

resigned.

Then

suddenly

hebroke

out

aboldmovethat

put

theroominabuzz.Themoveshocked

Spassky,

but

herecoveredand

managed

towinthe

game.

Butnoonecould

figure

out

whatFischerwas

up

to.Hadhelost

deliberately?

Orwasherattled?Unset-

tled?

Even,

assome

thought,

insane?

Afterhisdefeatinthe first

game,

Fischer

complained

allthemore

loudly

aboutthe

room,

the

cameras,

and

everything

else.Healsofailedto