Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Why did Bobby Fischer lose the world chess title by default in 1975?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
chess
Position of chess pieces at the beginning of a game. The pieces are placed on the two ranks closest to the player. In the closest rank, pieces are arranged from left to right: rook, knight, bishop, queen, king, bishop, knight, and rook. In front of that rank, each square has a pawn.
After winning the world championship in 1972, Bobby Fischer insisted on having a greater influence over match rules than any previous champion in the era of the Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE).1
Specifically, Fischer objected to the long-standing rule that limited championship matches to 24 games. Although FIDE agreed to drop this rule, Fischer demanded further concessions regarding the conditions of the match. When he ultimately refused to defend his title against his challenger, Anatoly Karpov, FIDE stripped him of the championship and declared Karpov the winner by default in 1975.123