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Chess 18 Jun 1960, Sat The Montreal Star (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) Newspapers.com
Let's Play Chess
Reshevsky History Portrays Rise and Fall of a Champion
By William Oaker
An entire era of chess history in the United States collapsed last week. Samuel Reshevsky played fourth board for the Manhattan Chess Club in a match against the Marshall Chess Club.
Who won this match between the two strongest chess clubs in the Western World is of little importance compared to the placement of Reshevsky on the Manhattan team.
When Reshevsky was still too young to go to school, he was giving simultaneous exhibitions all over the world. Eventually he came to the United States where he visited almost every American city and astounded everyone with his uncanny skill at the royal game.
He even achieved outstanding results in master events while still in short pants.
Suddenly, he disappeared from the chess arena. He had settled down to go to school, eventually becoming an accountant. Many years later he reappeared and began to win every tourney in sight. It was not long before he established himself as the leading representative of American chess.
For years he went without a single loss in the United States. He journeyed overseas and his success was just as spectacular. In a remarkably short time he established himself as one of the world greats.
Finally, with the death of Alexander Alekhine in 1946, he was one of those invited to play in the Hague-Moscow Tourney to decide who would be the new world champion. The others were Mikhail Botvinnik, and Vassily Smyslov of Russia, Paul Keres of Estonia and Dr. Max Euwe, of the Netherlands. Reshevsky finished tied with Keres behind Botvinnik and Smyslov.
For the next five years he expended every effort to attempt to win the world title. Always he came close, but he never quite made it.
It was reasoned that his main obstacle was the fact that he had to make a living, while the Russians were state supported and could thus devote their full time to the game.
Reshevsky finally became the recipient of $5,000 a year in order to devote himself entirely to the game. Everyone was pleased. At last the United States would have a world champion.
Reshevsky, however, then disappointed everyone by giving up all interest in trying to become champion. He even refused to play in any tournaments at all unless he was paid handsomely beforehand. Even then his efforts were only half-hearted.
Even when he lost the U.S. title to the rising generation, so great was his prestige, he was still able to demand first board on the U.S. team. The champion had to take a back seat. In addition, the U.S. Chess Federation always had to meet his financial demands. It looked as though Reshevsky was champion whether he lost or not. There were four champions during this period: Herman Steiner, Arnold Denker, Larry Evans and Arthur Bisguier.
Then a number of younger players managed to meet Reshevsky's financial demands and proceeded to destroy the Reshevsky myth. He was unconvincing against Robert Byrne, Arthur Bisguier and William Lombardy.
The final blow came, however, in the form of a youngster wearing sneakers and jeans. A Brooklyn teen-ager named Bobby Fischer. This boy has not only consistently taken the championship away from Reshevsky but he has even trounced the old master in the process.
Now Fischer is going on to new heights, while Reshevsky has settled down on fourth board for the Manhattan Chess Club.
How Good Are You?
FEN 8/2p1p1p1/P1P1P1P1/1p6/8/3p4/pPpP1P2/k1K5 w - - 0 1
White to Play and Win—cut line.
The solution is similar to that of the previous problem. However, a new twist is needed just near the end. It is important that for white to win all black's moves are forced in the following analysis.
1. P-R7 P-N5 2. P-R8(N) P-N6 3. N-N6 PxN 4. P-B7 P-N4 5. P-B8(N) P-N5 6. N-Q6 PxN 7. P-K7 P-Q4 8. P-K8(N) P-Q5 9. N-B6 PxN 10. P-N7 P-B4 11. P-N8(Q) P-B5 12. QxNP P-B6 13. QxQP P-N6 14. QxNP P-Q6 15. QxPch KxQ 16. P-N4
And white queens easily and no longer has to worry about the stalemate.
