New York Times, New York, New York, Saturday, September 19, 1959
Keres Reverses Loss To Fischer
Beats U.S. Chess Champion in Yugoslavia, Making Up for First-Round Defeat
Paul Keres, Estonia's chess grand master, squared accounts yesterday with the United States champion, Bobby Fischer. Keres defeated the 16-year-old Brooklyn player in the eighth round of the challengers' tournament in Bled, according to Yugoslav news sources.
Fischer, on the opening day, had won from the Soviet Union representative when Keres missed his way in a daring combination. This time, conducting the black pieces, Keres toned down his tactics and resorted instead to calculated pressure.
This method prevented the American from seizing the initiative . The Russian scored in thirty-eight moves when his position seemed to be overpowering.
Keres and Mikhail Tal, who defeated a fellow Russian, Vassily Smyslov, in another reversal of a first-round result, tied at 5½-2½ for first place.
Tigran Petrosian of the Soviet Union, who had shared the lead, adjourned against Fridrik Olafsson of Iceland. Svetozar Gligoric of Yugoslavia, adjourned with Paul Benko of New York.
Details of Fischer's losing game against Olafsson in the fifth round were received yesterday.
Fischer, on the black side of a Sicilian defense, took a long chance in sacrificing the exchange at his fifteenth turn. But he won a pawn and obtained a seemingly powerful center.
The initiative, however, was retained by the Icelander, who sprang a surprise in offering the sacrifice of a rook on the thirty-seventh move. It forced the exchange of queens, leaving Fischer with a lost ending.
The score follows:
