New York Times, New York, New York, Sunday, September 06, 1959
Draw Set Today In Chess Tourney
Pairings for Challengers' Play in World Event to Be Decided at Bled
This is the fateful day on which eight of the leading grandmasters, assembled in Bled, Yugoslavia, under the auspices of the International Chess Federation, will draw lots for the numbers on which pairings will be based for the world championship challengers' tournament.
Play in the first round of fourteen to be contested in Bled, will start tomorrow and continue until Sept. 30, when the scene of this momentous struggle will switch to Zagreb for the next seven rounds.
The last installment of seven rounds is scheduled for Oct. 18-31 at the capital city of Belgrade.
As expected, the entry list is top-heavy with Russian talent. Because of his long experience and the fact that he alone has been able to win the world title from Mikhail Botvinnik, even though he lost in the return encounter, Vassily Smyslov is the favorite.
Keres Also Seeded
Smyslov and Paul Keres, a famous Estonian, were seeded. The two other Soviet competitors are Mikhail Tal, twice the national Russian champion, and Tigran Petrosian.
America's prospects are bright, nevertheless. In the forefront will be the 16-year-old United States champion, Bobby Fischer of Brooklyn. His latest performance in the grand manner was in the jubilee tournament in Zurich, where he tied for third place with Keres, below Tal and Svetozar Gligoric, first and second, respectively.
On that occasion, Bobby was well set to challenge Tal's lead, but took liberties with one of the outsiders. Should he maintain the pace he has set for himself, young Fischer may carry off the rich plum that is at stake.
Another top contender is Paul Benko, a Hungarian refugee who has carved out an honorable position in American chess circles since his arrival here from Iceland. That distant island in the north will be represented by Fridrik Olafsson of Reykjavik who, with Fischer, slipped into the charmed circle of eight when David Bronstein of Russia unexpectedly lost in the last round at Portoroz.
Still to be considered is Svetozar Gligoric of Yugoslavia, whose long and impressive record speaks for itself.
