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Chess 30 Apr 1960, Sat The Montreal Star (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) Newspapers.com
Let's Play Chess
Tal Leads by Three Points After 17 Games of Tourney
By William Oaker
Latvian Grandmaster Mikhail Tal has extended his lead to three points over world champion Mikhail Botvinnik after 17 games of their 24 game title match.
Tal has now won five games lost two and allowed 10 draws, to give him a score of 10 to 7, with seven games remaining to be played. He needs a total of 12½ points to gain the title. Botvinnik needs 12 points in order to retain his championship.
Game 15 saw Tal with the better position right from the opening. He retained his positional advantage through the middle game and at adjournment still had slightly the better game. With an eye to the score, he offered Botvinnik a draw, which was readily accepted.
Game 16 was a dull game with neither player taking any risks. It, too, was a draw.
In game 17, Botvinnik achieved the better position early and built up a commanding initiative. Somehow, however, he could not make it pay off, and in a moment of indecision opened the position incorrectly. The game became complicated and two edged. When the smoke had cleared, Tal was the victor.
Botvinnik's task becomes increasingly difficult as each round passes. Now, in order to retain his title, he must score at least five points in the remaining seven games. Tal needs only two-and-a-half points.
Small-fry chess giant Bobby Fischer, the Brooklyn prodigy, is making the news in other ways besides winning chess tournaments. According to the British magazine Chess, Bobby's high school has resolved its worry over the interference of chess with his normal scholastic career by deciding that his achievements in international chess shall qualify him for honorary graduation.
The 17-year-old Grandmaster and United States champion has gone into the business of making predictions. Prior to the start of the Botvinnik-Tal match, Bobby predicted that Botvinnik would win easily. He made this statement shortly after undergoing a bit of a thrashing at the hands of Tal during the Challengers Tourney, which suggests a touch of sour grapes.
Undaunted, however, the youngster has made another prediction. According to Bobby Fischer, a Brooklyn boy named Bobby Fischer will be world champion in about six years.
Those who are inclined to scoff at this on the grounds that it has about as much validity as Bobby's comments on the Tal-Botvinnik match, should remember that this is one prediction that the boy himself can do something about. And he is doing just that. At present he is studying chess an average of 16 hours per day.
This writer also fondly remembers those who laughed at the idea that he could become U.S. open champ. They also laughed when it was suggested that he might become U.S. closed champ. They laughed themselves silly at the thought of his qualifying for the World Challengers Tourney.
In fact, Bobby Fischer's entire life story seems to be one of people splitting their sides with chuckles every time it is suggested that he is going to do something. Yet, every time he has ended up doing just when he set out to do.
I am afraid this writer can only muster enough courage to say, “We shall see what we shall see.”
How Good Are You?
Try this one. It is a little tougher than the last one. In fact, if you solve it, you're getting to be a pretty good chess player.
FEN 6k1/p4pb1/1p5p/3bPN1p/3P4/2r5/P2RQBPK/2q5 w - - 0 1
Black to Play and Mate
