The Los Angeles Times Los Angeles, California Sunday, February 08, 1959
Reshevsky First, Fischer Second on New Rating List
The U.S. Chess Federation has just issued a new national rating list, covering tournament and match play through Sept. 30, 1958.
Samuel Reshevsky of Spring Valley, N.Y. who has been the forerunner in American chess for a generation, is still at the head of the list with 2693 points. This is a slight drop from the 2713 mark he had on the last previous list, in March, 1958.
U.S. Chess Champion Bobby Fischer, the 15-year-old Brooklyn lad, is again second on the rating list, with 2636 as against 2626 last year. Having placed ahead of Reshevsky in two successive championship tournaments, Fischer is evidently on the way up.
New York players dominate the group of leading masters, placing 13 in the first 20. Leading Californian on the list is James B. Cross of Los Angeles, who advanced from 2306 to 2425 in a year's competition. Your editor (GM Isaac Kashdan) does not appear on the active list. His last rating was 2525.
Following are the current leaders, with their 1958 points for comparison. The only newcomer is Paul Benko, former Hungarian chess champion and freedom fighter, who defected to the United States recently.
