ANew York Times, New York, New York, Sunday, January 04, 1959
Sports Review of 1958
Chess
A youngster dominated the chess scene in this country in 1958. Bobby Fischer, 15-year-old student at Erasmus Hall High School, Brooklyn, won the United States title. He gained additional honors in Europe.
By finishing among the first six at the interzonal tournament at Portoroz, Yugoslavia, Fischer earned a place in this year's tournament to determine a challenger for the world title and achieved the rank of international grand master.
An American team finished fourth among thirty-six nations in the chess Olympics at Munich, Germany. The Soviet Union maintained its supremacy there, with a line-up headed by the world champion, Mikhail Botvinnik.
The Russians also triumphed in the international students tournament at Varna, Bulgaria. The United States was sixth.
Early in the year Botvinnik defeated Vasily Smyslov to regain the world crown. Mme. Elizabeth Bykova of Moscow beat Mme. Olga Rubtsova for the women's title.
