Chess right of a deposed champion to a rematch, and the next champion, Armenian Tigran Petrosian, a player renowned for his defensive and positional skills, held the title for two cycles, 1963–1969. His successor, Boris Spassky from Russia (champion 1969–1972), won games in both positional and sharp tactical style. The next championship, the so-called Match of the Century, saw the first non-Soviet challenger since World War II, American Bobby Fischer, who defeated his Candidates opponents by unheard-of margins and clearly won the world championship match. In 1975, however, Fischer refused to defend his title against Soviet Anatoly Karpov when FIDE did
Ed Edmondson (chess official) Ed Edmondson (chess official) Edmund Edmondson (13 August 1920 – 21 October 1982) was President of the United States Chess Federation from 1963 to 1966 and Executive Director of the USCF from 1966 to 1975. He served as an officer, reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, with the United States Air Force. Edmondson played a key role in Bobby Fischer's path to the World Chess Champion in 1972. He asked Pal Benko, who had qualified for the 1970 Interzonal, to yield his spot to Fischer. Benko realized that Fischer had a much greater chance of winning and agreed, receiving a