Friðrik Ólafsson, Vlastimil Hort and Florin Gheorghiu tied for first place in the fifth Reykjavík Chess Tournament, an exceptionally strong and exciting event. Friðrik produced one of the most remarkable finishing runs imaginable, winning his final six games. At the end of the tournament, Morgunblaðið interviewed Friðrik. The interview appeared in the newspaper on 1 March 1972 and is reproduced below.

“It is good to have finished,” said chess master Friðrik Ólafsson when Morgunblaðið spoke with him the day before yesterday. “This tournament may have been the strongest ever held here, with the possible exception of the Student Chess Tournament held here in 1957. Many very strong players took part in that event.”

Friðrik Ólafsson shared first to third places in the Reykjavík Chess Tournament with the Czech Vlastimil Hort and the Romanian Florin Gheorghiu. Friðrik achieved the remarkable feat of winning his final six games in the tournament.

We asked Friðrik about this.

“Yes, things were rather uneven at first, and it took me a long time to get going. I probably approached the tournament too calmly at the beginning. I could feel it myself around the middle of the tournament, when I finally found the right fighting spirit.”

What caused that?

“I do not know for certain, but I can imagine that the game against Tukmakov proved decisive. It is always very important for things to go well. A good result in a game often puts a player back on the right track.”

Which game did you find the most difficult?

“That is difficult to say. The final game may have been the hardest. So little could go wrong if I was to achieve the goal I had set myself, but I managed it, although unfortunately that game may have been even more important to Timman, because by losing it he missed the grandmaster title on this occasion.”

Two young players scored enough points for the grandmaster title in this tournament. One of them, Andersson, is very young. What do you think of him?

“Yes, it is very pleasing that these two players, Andersson and Tukmakov, reached this milestone here and that this tournament effectively settled the matter of their receiving the grandmaster title. I have a very good impression of Andersson as a player, and he should be able to go quite far. Nothing seems to distract him. Chess is the only thing that matters to him. In that respect, he reminds me somewhat of Fischer. He seems completely free of doubt.”

What comes next for you in chess?

“I do not know. As people know, I was selected as a reserve for the Interzonal Tournament, and that means that unless someone withdraws, I will have to start again from the beginning. I have not yet decided whether to take part, but if I do, I must enter a Zonal Tournament in Yugoslavia this spring. To qualify for the Interzonal Tournament, I would then have to finish first or second there. I still do not know who the other participants will be.

“Gheorghiu must also play in a Zonal Tournament because his rating was not high enough to qualify directly for the Interzonal, whereas Stein and Hort did qualify. There are also reasonably strong tournaments from time to time that might be worth considering. For example, I can play in tournaments in the Netherlands whenever I wish.”

Do you feel that you are in the same competitive form as in earlier years, when you achieved your greatest victories?

“It is completely different. I am now in a position where I can play much more safely. In the old days I was aggressive and capable of anything. I was trying to establish myself and had nothing to lose but everything to gain. Ambition drove me forward then, but once a player has reached a certain level, it becomes more difficult to make an impact. If things go badly, the fall can be considerable.”

What do you think of the tournament as a whole?

“The tournament was very successful, and those who organized it deserve great thanks. I believe the foreign participants were very satisfied. Tournaments of this kind at home are highly desirable and give Icelandic players an opportunity to test themselves against foreign opposition.

“Perhaps two years between Reykjavík tournaments is too long, and it may be necessary either to hold them annually or to send Icelandic players abroad to take part in foreign tournaments. It was also noticeable at the beginning that some of the Icelandic players were intimidated by the foreign participants.”

Now, changing the subject, what do you think about holding the World Championship match here?

“I hope it will be held here, and the proposal should be supported if international publicity for Iceland is considered worthwhile. From a chess point of view, the match could greatly increase interest in chess among Icelanders.”

Which player would you bet on?

“I would bet on Spassky, perhaps because everyone else is betting on Fischer. It should also be remembered that Spassky is a very tough match player, especially since he truly reached his peak. He challenged for the world title in 1966 and lost, but then won the title from Petrosian in 1969.

“He has played a great many match games, and since reaching his best form he may have lost only about five games. If Spassky cannot stand up to Fischer, then no one can.”

What is your own record against these two players?

“I have played Spassky five times, losing three games and drawing two. My record against Fischer is not good either. I have lost six games to him and won two.”

What do you think the Russians will do regarding the venue?

“I do not know how firmly they will maintain their objections, but it is quite clear that they want the match to be held here and are fighting for that outcome. The major question is how strong Dr Euwe will be.

“It is also clear that the Yugoslavs fear that their position is not as strong as Iceland’s, and they are therefore proposing a compromise under which the match would be divided between the two countries. It would have been safer to hold the first half of the match here, while there is considerable risk in hosting the second half because it is not clear how many games would remain.

“On the other hand, the second half could take place in August or September, after the main tourist season. I spoke with Spassky in Moscow before Christmas and told him that if he wished to come to Iceland, he would always be welcome. At that time, the Icelandic Chess Federation’s formal bid had not yet been submitted, so I could not speak to him directly about it. But I gave him a considerable amount of reading material about Iceland, including brochures and other publications.”

Why does Spassky not appear publicly and state his opinion of the proposals?

“I think the Soviet Chess Federation does not want to burden Spassky with negotiations and all the psychological warfare that accompanies them. Although this is only chess, there is more behind it.

“The chess strength of the Soviet Union is regarded as a product of the political system prevailing there, and losing the world championship would therefore be a considerable blow. Lenin himself was a chess player and regarded chess as a good form of recreation for people in general.”

Finally, Friðrik, do you ever consider becoming a professional chess player?

“I do not know. It seems to me that there has not yet been a sufficiently attractive basis for professional chess players. Prize money varies greatly, and there are other aspects to consider as well. Tournaments are often very long, and players may be away from their families for months at a time. A person must think about how best to find happiness,” Friðrik Ólafsson concluded.