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Let's Play Chess 20 Aug 1960, Sat The Montreal Star (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) Newspapers.com
Let's Play Chess
U.S. Open Still 'Fair Game' Six Deadlocked for First
By William Oaker
The United States Open Championship being held in St. Louis, Mo., is still fair game for any one of 28 players, even after the completion of eight of the scheduled 12 rounds.
It in impossible to say that any player is favored to carry away top honors and the $1000 first prize.
At present, eight are hopelessly snarled in a first-place tie with scores of 6½-l½. These are Pal Benko, Arthur Bisguier, Larry Evans, Raymond Weinstein, Jeremiah Donnovan and Anthony Saidy, all of New York, Robert Byrne of Indianapolis, and Henry Davis, of San Antonio.
A half-point behind the eight front-runners are nine players with scores of 6-2, while also clearly in the running are 11 others with scores of 5½-2½. Any one of the 28 could be the eventual winner.
If past performance is any criteria of judgment, four players must be considered as having the greatest chance of finishing on top. These are Benko, Bisguier, Evans and Byrne. All four are grandmasters and all four have extensive international experience.
If one had to choose the top players in the United States today, seven names would be outstanding. The above four would be included. The other three are Bobby Fischer, Sammy Reshevsky, and William Lombardy. A possible addition might be James Sherwin, who is entered in this event, but who seems to be having a bad tournament.
Bisguier is the defending champion, although both Evans and Byrne have won this event in the past.
Dr. Elod Macskasy, of Vancouver, the present Canadian Open Champion, has slipped back somewhat and has an eighth round score of 5-3, and still could finish quite high. It should be remembered that two years ago when he won the Canadian Open title in Winnipeg, it was ahead of grand master Larry Evans.
The Canadian Open Championship is scheduled to begin next Saturday in Kitchener, Ont. Players from all over Canada and the United States are expected to take part,
some of them coming direct from Oklahoma, to the Kitchener event.
How Good Are You?
FEN K7/2P4R/8/k7/8/8/2r4p/8 w - - 0 1
White to Play Win
This is a composition by Emmanuel Lasker, the man who held the world title for 28 years, and who is still considered by many the greatest chess player who ever lived. This study is something he tossed off during an idle moment and is based on one of his tournament games. Both pawns are about to queen.
