ANew York Times, New York, New York, Thursday, September 10, 1959
Fischer of Brooklyn Takes Chess Match From Keres at Bled
An impressive triumph was scored yesterday in Bled, Yugoslavia, by Bobby Fischer, the 16-year-old United States chess champion. As expected, he won his first-round game in the world championship challengers' tournament from Paul Keres of the Soviet Union.
According to a report received through Yugoslav news sources, the gifted American player made good the promise of victory held forth in the adjourned position of their game. He won it in fifty-one moves.
Keres had made desperate efforts to rush the lad in a prepared variation of the Sicilian defense, but the Brooklyn student held fast and emerged with a queen against his rival's rook and knight. This advantage sufficed to earn Fischer's first point in the tournament.
Bobby's success was the more noteworthy in view of the fact that he also had won from Keres in the international tournament at Zurich. When he arose as the winner yesterday, he received an ovation.
Next Fischer was called upon to face another Russian. Tigran Petrosian, in a second-round match adjourned from Tuesday. The Soviet grandmaster was a pawn ahead, posted on the seventh rank, and his defeat of the boy was predicted. Fischer fought valiantly for sixty-nine moves and then resigned to the inevitable.
Petrosian, who had been the sole winner on the opening day, took the lead in the standing with a score of 2—0. Paul Benko of New York, a Hungarian refugee, ranked second with 1½ points after winning his second-round game from Fridrik Olafsson of Iceland in fifty-five moves.
Keres redeemed himself by scoring over Vassily Smyslov of the Soviet Union, a former world champion, in the second round in sixty moves. Smyslov defeated Mikhail Tal, Soviet Union, in sixty-five moves.
