Published on 02/9/2020

In 1970, a chess tournament (Tournament of Peace) was organized in Croatia which took place in the town of Rovinj on the Adriatic Sea (Istrian peninsula). Fischer was undefeated in the previous four years. His defeat against Vladimir Kovačević, then a little known Croatian player, was a world wide sensation. Of course, despite this defeat, Fischer won the convincingly this trounament, which included 10 other grand-masters (including some of the best Soviet players). Vladimir Kovačević became international grand-master six years later, in 1976.

The greatest defeat of Bobby Fisher in his career occured in 1970 against Croatian chess player Vlado Kovačević

Vladimir Kovačević, International chess grandmaster since 1976, about thirty years later as a chess commentator on Croatian TV

Comments by Vladimir Kovačević: How I won against Bobby Fischer in 1970 (in Croatian).

This is considered to be the most difficult defeat of Bobby Fischer in his brilliant chess career.

In 1970, a chess tournament (Tournament of Peace) was organized in Croatia (then a Republic within ex-Yu), which took place in the town of Rovinj on the Adriatic Sea (Istrian peninsula). Fischer was undefeated during the previous four years. His defeat against Vladimir Kovačević, then a little known Croatian player, was a world-wide sensation. Of course, despite this defeat, Fischer won the convincingly this trounament, although it included 10 other grand-masters, among them some of the best Soviet players.

Mr. Vlado Kovačević was born in 1942 in the city of Dubrovnik. He became international grand-master six years later, in 1976.

Bobby Fischer arround 1970

Bobby Fischer was born in 1943, and became international grand-master in 1958 (at the age of 15). He became the chess champion of the world in 1972 (in Reykyavik, Iceland). Many consider him to be the greatest chess player in history.