Chess

BOBBY Fischer has asked for a glass dome to be built to enclose the players on stage when the Fischer-Spassky extravaganza moves to Belgrade for its second half; Boris Spassky has prostate trouble, rose from the board 27 times during the seventh game, and has asked for a urologist to be included among the 24-hour- a-day medical service available to the players.

Meanwhile, back on the board, Fischer is still scratching around in search of his best form. In the good old days, Fischer could seize control of the game at an early stage and drive his opponent off the board with the unstoppable force of a sumo wrestler. Against Spassky so far, his play has been predominantly reactive.

The eighth and latest game, a King's Indian Defence, is reproduced here. Just as it looked like turning into a no-holds-barred race between attacks on opposite wings, Fischer secured his defences with some good, but uncharacteristically cautious moves. 18 . . . Rh8, 27 . . . Kf8 and 28 . . . Ke8 were all designed to slow Spassky's attack, first preventing a sacrifice on h5 or f5, then guarding against a break with f4.

It all paid off when Spassky blundered with 31. Rc1?? but this is not the way Fischer would like to be winning games.

----------------------------------------------------------------- 1 d4 Nf6 22 Nf1 Nf6 2 c4 g6 23 Nfe3 Bxd5 3 Nc3 Bg7 24 cxd5 Rbc8 4 e4 d6 25 Rcf1 Qe7 5 f3 0-0 26 g4 Nd7 6 Be3 Nc6 27 g5 Kf8 7 Nge2 a6 28 Rf2 Ke8 8 Qd2 Rb8 29 Bf1 Nc5 9 h4 h5 30 Bh3 Rc7 10 Bh6 e5 31 Rc1 Ncb3 11 Bxg7 Kxg7 32 axb3 Nxb3 12 d5 Ne7 33 Rc6 Nxd2+ 13 Ng3 c6 34 Rxd2 Kf8 14 dxc6 Nxc6 35 Rxa6 Ra7 15 0-0-0 Be6 36 Rc6 Kg7 16 Kb1 Ne8 37 Bf1 Ra1+ 17 Nd5 b5 38 Kxa1 Qa7+ 18 Ne3 Rh8 39 Kb1 Qxe3 19 Rc1 Qb6 40 Kc2 b4 20 Bd3 Nd4 White resigns 21 Nd5 Qa7 -----------------------------------------------------------------