A< Prev Index Next >
Chessically Yours 09 Jan 1959, Fri The News (Paterson, New Jersey) Newspapers.com
The Rosenwald
The Rosenwald Tournament, the strongest Chess Tournament in the United States is coming to a climactic close. This tournament is invitational to only the top rated U.S. chess players, and it produces the undisputed United States champion. Last year, at 14 years of age, Bobby Fischer won it, and this year he is once again in the lead; followed by Evans, Bisguier and Reshevsky. Reshevsky is the only so-called “Old Timer” among the top players. As was mentioned in last week's column, youth has taken over.
All chess players will blunder, but somehow most of us imagine the Grandmasters to be exceptions. This is, of course, not true. They will at times blunder, but not very often. In this Tournament a game was played which shocked the Chess World, a feat was accomplished which actually staggers the imagination for it seems so incredible.
In the Fischer-Reshevsky game, their personal fight for leadership in the Rosenwald, the boy wonder delivered a knock-out blow against the great grandmaster in 10 moves. On the 11th Reshevsky resigns, completely crushed. For those who follow chess and know Reshevsky, a boy-wonder himself starting at the age of 5, it is difficult to believe. But through the courtesy of Mel Morris, who was a witness to this masterpiece, we bring you this game.
Reshevsky plays the black side of a Sicilian defense, for more years than Fischer is old, his favorite against P-K4. Yet black does not actually blunder, such as we know in giving material away, but for a Grandmaster player not to see what was coming is in itself an oversight which might be termed a blunder. We would also question the lack of his queen pawn to move, or why the N-QR4 when latent danger stalked the squared board? But here goes and you be the judge.
