This article lists the times taken in Game 7 by Fischer and Spassky.
Click here for info on other games of this match.

Game 7, July 25th, 1972

Spassky       Fischer
White         Black
1. e4    (0:00)  (ar)  (0:05)
1. ...           c5    (0:06)
2. Nf3   (0:01)  d6    (0:06)
3. d4    (0:01)  cxd4  (0:06)
4. Nxd4  (0:01)  Nf6   (0:06)
5. Nc3   (0:02)  a6    (0:06)
6. Bg5   (0:04)  e6    (0:06)
7. f4    (0:05)  Qb6   (0:07)
8. Qd2   (0:07)  Qxb2  (0:07)
9. Nb3   (0:08)  Qa3   (0:10)
10. Bd3   (0:12)  Be7   (0:19)
11. 0-0   (0:20)  h6    (0:28)
12. Bh4   (0:55)  Nxe4  (0:37)
13. Nxe4  (1:03)  Bxh4  (0:37)
14. f5    (1:08)  exf5  (0:43)
15. Bb5+  (1:15)  axb5  (0:50)
16. Nxd6+ (1:16)  Kf8   (0:50)
17. Nxc8  (1:17)  Nc6   (0:53)
18. Nd6   (1:39)  Rd8   (0:57)
19. Nxb5  (1:39)  Qe7   (1:01)
20. Qf4   (1:43)  g6    (1:02)
21. a4    (1:45)  Bg5   (1:07)
22. Qc4   (1:46)  Be3+  (1:13)
23. Kh1   (1:46)  f4    (1:13)
24. g3    (1:58)  g5    (1:18)
25. Rae1  (1:59)  Qb4   (1:24)
26. Qxb4+ (1:59)  Nxb4  (1:24)
27. Re2   (2:00)  Kg7   (1:25)
28. Na5   (2:02)  b6    (1:32)
29. Nc4   (2:04)  Nd5   (1:38)
30. Ncd6  (2:05)  Bc5   (1:43)
31. Nb7   (2:09)  Rc8   (1:44)
32. c4    (2:17)  Ne3   (1:48)
33. Rf3   (2:18)  Nxc4  (1:49)
34. gxf4  (2:18)  g4    (1:50)
35. Rd3   (2:21)  h5    (1:53)
36. h3    (2:21)  Na5   (1:57)
37. N7d6  (2:22)  Bxd6  (2:00)
38. Nxd6  (2:22)  Rc1+  (2:01)
39. Kg2   (2:22)  Nc4   (2:02)
40. Ne8+  (2:26)  Kg6   (2:02)
41. h4 (s)(3:09)  (ar)  (2:19)
41. ...           f6    (2:21)
42. Re6   (3:10)  Rc2+  (2:32)
43. Kg1   (3:10)  Kf5   (2:34)
44. Ng7+  (3:10)  Kxf4  (2:35)
45. Rd4+  (3:11)  Kg3   (2:36)
46. Nf5+  (3:11)  Kf3   (2:37)
47. Ree4  (3:11)  Rc1+  (2:50)
48. Kh2   (3:11)  Rc2+  (2:50)
49. Kg1   (3:11)  1/2-1/2
(ar) indicates the player's arrival, if late.
(s) indicates a sealed move.


On this day, Spassky got a swivel chair identical to Fischer’s.

Fischer arrived late for both the game and for the adjournment.

The Sealed Move:

In the days of adjournments, the arbiter would, at the correct time, inform the player on the move that his next move is to be a sealed move. This means that, after due reflection, instead of making his move on the board, the player writes his move in private and puts it into the arbiter’s envelope, and seals it. The arbiter records the clock times and the position, typically on the outside of the envelope, for the game’s later resumption. The arbiter then impounds this envelope, maintaining custody until the game is resumed.

When the game is resumed, the arbiter prepares the clocks and board, opens the envelope, plays the sealed move, and then presses that player’s clock to start the new session of play.

When does the arbiter prompt a player to make the sealed move? At the end of the playing session. In this case, when both players have completed at least 40 moves, AND 5 total hours have accumulated on the player’s clocks.

If both players have completed 40 moves, and 5 hours have not yet accumulated, then the player to move can control the situation, using it to his advantage.

If that player wants to seal his next move, he can decide on it and then just wait until the arbiter prompts him to do it. Actually, if the player knows his next move and does not want to wait, he can ask the arbiter for the envelope, seal his move, and the arbiter will deduct time off his clock to complete the necessary 5 total elapsed hours. This extra elapsed time is seen on the clock when the game is resumed.

Instead, if the player wants his opponent to seal the move, he can decide on his own move and wait until just before the 5 hours is finished. Then he makes the move. The opponent now has to either move before the session ends, or be prompted by the arbiter to seal his move.

In this game, Spassky took plenty of time and eventually sealed just the right move, which made it easy for him to draw the next day, after thorough analysis.

The games of the match began at 5 PM, and the adjournments began at 2:30 PM the next day. The first session was 5 hours, and the following sessions, if necessary, were 4 hours, with a time control of 16 moves per hour. Thus time controls were at move 40 in the first session and at moves 56 and 72 in the second session. No game extended into a third session in this match.

Click here for info on other games of this match.