Fischer Is Beaten By Tal In 34 Moves: Latvian Outplays Brooklyn Youth In Chess at Bled

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New York Times, New York, New York, Tuesday, September 29, 1959

Fischer Is Beaten By Tal In 34 Moves
Latvian Outplays Brooklyn Youth In Chess at Bled—Petrosian Downs Benko
Bobby Fischer, the United States chess champion, bowed to Mikhail Tal, the Latvian grandmaster, in thirty-four moves yesterday in the thirteenth round of the world challengers' tournament in Bled, according to a report from Yugoslavia.
Although the former Soviet champion played the black pieces he wrested the initiative from the 16-year-old Brooklyn youth.
Tigran Petrosian of the Soviet Union won in thirty-three moves from Paul Benko, a Hungarian refugee from New York.
Two games were adjourned, each after forty moves. They paired Fridrik Olafsson of Iceland with Vassily Smyslov of the Soviet Union and Svetozar Gligoric of Yugoslavia with Paul Keres of the Soviet Union.
Fischer's fighting spirit was well illustrated in his handling of the white forces in a seventh-round game with Smyslov, the full score of which has been received by air mail.
Aggressive in the beginning, Fischer steadied himself in the difficult middle game after compelling the black king to move. An exchange of queens brought on a struggle among the four rooks, with passed pawns on both sides. The ending was marked by accuracy.