Bobby Fischer (right) defeated Russian Boris Spassky.

On September 1, 1972, in what’s billed as the “Match of the
Century,” American chess grandmaster Bobby Fischer
defeated Russian Boris Spassky during the World Chess
Championship in Reykjavik, Iceland.

In the world’s most publicized title match ever played, Fischer,
a 29-year-old Brooklynite, became the first American to win
the competition since its inception in 1866. The victory also
marked the first time a non-Russian had won the event in
24 years.