ADeseret News and Salt Lake Telegram Salt Lake City, Utah Thursday, January 01, 1959
Bobby Fischer Holds Lead In U.S. Tourney
Bobby Fischer, the teenage chess whiz defending his title, is holding the lead in the United States Chess Championship Tournament.
Bobby, 15, of Brooklyn, is undefeated with a score of 6-2 at the completion of eight rounds.
Samuel Reshevsky and Larry Evans, both former champions, are tied for second place with scores of 5-3.
Bobby adjourned all of his first four games. On resumption of play he completed three games in one day, with victories over James T. Sherwin and Charles Kalme and a draw against World Junior Champion William Lombardy.
The most exciting finish was against Kalme, a game in which Fischer had sacrificed a piece to obtain two passed pawns far up in his opponent's territory.
Supported by Fischer's king, he pawns proved a winning force.
The biggest surprise (and disappointment) of the tournament so far is the lowly standing of Paul Benko, who recently became a grandmaster as a result of finishing third in the interzonal tournament in Portoroz, Yugoslavia.
In the first four rounds, Benko drew with Arthur B. Bisguier and lost to Evans, Lombardy and Sherwin. Time pressure played a part, particularly against Lombardy, when Benko lost a piece after having gained a pawn.
Following are details received of the first four rounds.
