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The Guardian London, Greater London, England Thursday, June 18, 1959
Chess - The Zurich Tournament
The close finish at Zurich indicates that the world championship candidates' tournament in Yugoslavia later this year will see a serious challenge to the Russian hegemony by Gligoric (Yugoslavia) and Fischer (United States). The scales, nevertheless remain heavily weighted in favour of the Russians.
Fischer's performance at Zurich was his best so far; he defeated the grandmasters Keres, Olafsson, and Unzicker, and but for his impetuosity in attack against Keller in the penultimate round might well have tied Tal for first prize. Against the lesser masters he was devastating, as instanced by the game below (Fischer vs. Kupper, Sicilian Defense).
Robert James Fischer vs Josef Kupper
Zurich (1959), Zurich SUI, rd 4, May-23
Sicilian Defense: Fischer-Sozin Attack. Leonhardt Variation (B88) 1-0
1. A favourite move of Fischer's against the Sicilian.
2. White has to lose a tempo before beginning a king's side attack, since the immediate 7 Castles is met by 7 … P-Q4; with a free game for Black.
3. Black wishes to avoid the main line 8 … B-Q2; 9. B-K3 Castles; 10. P-B4 KtxKt; 11. BxKt B-B3; 12. Q-K2 P-QKt4 13. KtxP BxKt; 14. QxB KtxP; 15. QR-Q1 with which Fischer has obtained several successes with White.
4. If 11 ... B-R3; then not 12 R-K1 P-Q4; 13. PxP Kt-Kt5; 14. Kt-K4 B-B4 (15. KtxB Q-R5); but 12. R-B3, with good attacking chances.
5. Now Black loses control of his vital Q4 square. Much better is 12. ... Q-Q2.
6. White's attack has developed quickly in the last few moves, and now he begins a decisive sacrificial combination.
7. If 21 ... QxP; 22. QxPch K-Kt1; 23. R-Kt3ch
8. The only defense against the threat of 23. PxB followed by 24 QxPch.
9. Or 23 ... K-Kt1; 24. Q-Kt3 R-R2; 25. RxP Q-Kt4; 26. R-KKt1 and wins.
10. The last hope; if now 25. PxB R-B5; 26. RxR(Q)ch KxQ 27. RxPch K-Kt2; 28. Q-Kt3ch KxR; and Black can fight on.
