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Chess With Sam Laird 23 Apr 1959, Thu Courier-Post (Camden, New Jersey) Newspapers.com
Bobby Fischer Competing In Tourney at Santiago
After finishing second to Ludek Pachman, of Czechoslovakia, in the international chess tournament at Mar del Plata, Argentina, Bobby Fischer now is taking part in another international tourney at Santiago, Chile.
The 16-year-old U.S. champion hopes to reverse the decision Pachman scored over him at Mar del Plata, which was responsible for his failure to win that tournament. Other well known players competing at Santiago include Borislav Ivkov, of Yugoslavia; Hermann Pilnik and Raul Sanguinetti of Argentina, and Joao de Souza Mendes, of Brazil.
Fischer, whose first game at Santiago was adjourned, was reported earlier this week to have been on the verge of withdrawing from the tournament over a financial misunderstanding. The Brooklyn schoolboy was quoted as saying he went to Santiago under the impression there would be $2000 in cash prizes, but that when he got there he found there was only $1000 in cash, the rest being “in trophies and other stuff which wouldn't interest me.”
Disappointment over the small amount of cash almost caused Bobby to return home, but he decided to play.
This may make it sound as if our youthful champion is interested mainly in whatever financial rewards he can get out of chess (which in the past, in this country, have been pitifully small for any of our stars). But his mother, Mrs. Regina Fischer, who is accompanying him on his South American trip, points out that while the Iron Curtain stars and some from other countries get subsidized by their governments, Bobby doesn't — “and this trip costs lots of money.” It is a legitimate argument. Bobby and his family are far from rich. The amount of money he can pick up in a tournament is important to them.
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Following is one of Fischer's victories at Mar del Plata. In time trouble, he seemed to near defeat till he offered A. Redolfi of Argentina a bishop sacrifice which Redolfi unwisely accepted. The trap closed instantly.
