ASunday Gazette-Mail, Charleston, West Virginia, Sunday, September 20, 1959
Speaking Of Chess
THE TOURNAMENT to produce a challenger for a title match with World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik is now under way in Yugoslavia. The games will be played in more than one location, starting with Bled — location of the great 1931 international tournament where Alekhine won one of his greatest triumphs.
The 1959 American representative, young Bobby Fischer, chess champion of the United States while still in his teens, is having some rather spectacular ups and downs. The ups consist of first and fourth round wins over Paul Keres and Svetozar Gligoric, respectively.
The downs are represented by second and sixth round losses to two of the Russian contingent, Tigran Petrosian (an Armenian) and Mikhail Tal (a Latvian). Bobby drew Paul Benko in round three and adjourned his fifth round game with Frederik Olafson, in a position somewhat favorable to his Icelandic opponent.
AT THIS challengers' tournament is a double round-robin affair, Bobby still has pretty fair chances — at least in theory. After six rounds, Petrosian led the field, 4 to 1; Tal had 3½ to 2½ and Keres 3 to 2. But if Fischer has already lost twice, he is in good company with such noted and experienced grandmasters as Vassily Smyslov and Paul Keres.
However, the U.S. champion will probably settle down and finish with a good score — perhaps even win the coveted first prize. In this chess event it is First or nothing. There is no second prize comparable to the winner's opportunity to play for the chess championship of the world. But the young American has another strong asset along with his demonstrated skill, his youthful stamina.
He is the youngest of all the contenders in the challenge tournament.
