ANew York Times, New York, New York, Sunday, January 04, 1959
Fischer Sets Back Bisguier In Chess
15-Year-Old Brooklyn Boy Needs Only Draw in Last Round to Retain Title
Taking eight-six moves in all, Bobby Fischer of Brooklyn, the 15-year-old defending United States champion, defeated Arthur B. Bisguier in their adjourned game from the tenth round at the Manhattan Chess Club yesterday.
With a score of 8—2, Fischer needs merely to draw in the final round today to retain the title he won a year ago.
The only one who can overtake him is Samuel Reshevsky, an international grandmaster who has a score of 7—3. To bring about a tie, Fischer must lost, while Reshevsky wins.
When play was adjourned Friday night, the dangerous attack engineered by Bisguier had been offset. They had reached a rook ending, with a pawn on each side, and a draw was foreseen. However, the young champion applied himself to the task of extracting something out of nothing.
By crowding the black king, he was able to capture his opponent's pawn. At the same time he held off Bisguier's king, while advancing his own pawn. Finally rooks were exchanged and the started spectators realized Fischer had what is technically known as the “opposition.” Bisguier good-naturedly resigned and shook hands.
Larry Evans, former national champion, resigned without further play a game with William Lombardy, the world junior champion, in which forty moves had been made.
Robert Byrne of Indianapolis won in forty-eight moves from Edmar Mednis of New York University.
Champion Traps Rival
The United States championship tournament for the Lessing J. Rosenwald Trophy, being played at the Manhattan Chess Club, will stand out in chess history for one game.
This encounter, the details of which will be included in forthcoming anthologies of master play, was won by Bobby Fischer, the 15-year-old Brooklyn schoolboy, the defending champion, from Samuel Reshevsky, famous the world over as America's international chess ace and a claimant to the championship of the Western world.
The youth caught the old master napping in an obscure trap in the much-analyzed Sicilian defense and won what must be regarded as the pivotal match of the tournament.
The score of this struggle, which will be examined with astonishment in all chess-playing countries, follows.
Fischer Beats Weinstein
Fischer also won an instructive game from Raymond Weinstein of Brooklyn College.
Arthur B. Bisguier, champion of the Manhattan Chess Club, won the longest, in two sessions, from Edmar Mednis, New York University, in 88 moves.
