Sure... but also keep in mind how strong he still
was in '92 after *20* years away. He wasn't in '72
form, but his "rusty" performance rating from the '92 match
was still 2720 or so... good enough to still be top 10 after
*20* years! so I think it's VERY reasonable to
assume he would have won in '75.


Well, you can *assume* whatever you like, based upon pipedreams and
self-delusion.


But the fact remains that Fischer's *actual* performance rating from 1992 was
well below 2700 FIDE -- not because he was rusty, but because his opponent had
dropped low enough to be easily confused for an ordinary GM. Most former
world champs declined *much* more slowly than Spassky did.

But this purely mathematical sort of approach may well not do Fischer justice
in 1992. Given Spassky's actual (not imaginary) rating in 1992, he is the last
person anybody would choose to play, in order to boost their rating.



I also think it is "reasonable" to merely assume Fischer would have won
against (anybody) in 1975, based upon his FIDE rating alone.
Unfortunately, this purely mathematical approach may well not do Karpov
justice in 1975.
Offhand, we know that Fischer boosted his rating skyward by 6-0'ing Taimanov
and Larsen in short, winner-take-all matches. But Karpov's rating was not
based upon 6-0'ing anybody (though Sam Sloan, for one, was ready and willing),
nor upon winner-take-all slugfests wherein his opponents decided to lose *every
game,* for no particular reason.



Don't get overly excited. Spassky had thrown away the
last game of the match under the pressure from the
gangsters who sponsored the match. After all, who
needs an accident? So Spassky, in boxing parlance,
took a dive, played a coffee house, "entertaining" chess.


But...this is the very same style he had used to defeat Fischer with, prior
to 1972! Hmm...play the King's Gambit...sac' a pawn for no reason...win
brilliantly -- now, what's all this nonsense about some unbeatable American
named Bobby somethingorother?


I must admit, I have never heard of this claim before, but certainly a single
"thrown" game where the opponent is vastly higher rated, and which Spassky was
thus likely to lose or draw anyway, would not be sufficient to calm the
fanatical excitement of a deluded fan, who earnestly believes that Fischer's
performance rating is properly calculated by starting at 2700 for no particular
reason, and adding points for every won game while never subtracting for any
reason!




In any case, there can be no doubt that in 1975, the best chessplayer in the
world was not Bobby Fischer, for the very simple reason that he didn't actually
play chess.