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Chess 07 Jan 1961, Sat The Montreal Star (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) Newspapers.com
Let's Play Chess
17-year-old Bobby Fischer Is Top U.S. Chess Champion
By BILL OAKER
Bobby Fischer, the 17-year-old chess genius from Brooklyn, has done it again. For the fourth straight year he has emerged Chess Champion of the United States.
Clinching the title with a clear two-point lead with one round yet to be finished, the youngster convinced even the loudest of his many critics that he is the greatest chess player in America today.
Complete scores and standings after 10 rounds are as follows: Fischer, 8-2; Bisguier, Lombardy and Reshevsky, 6-4; Weinstein, 5½-3½ with one adjourned game; Sherwin, 5-4, with one adjourned game; Berliner, 4½-5½; Kalme, 3½-4½, with two adjourned games; Byrne, 3½-5½, with one adjourned game; Benko, 3½-6½; Saidy, 3-6, with one adjourned game; and Seidman, 2½-7½.
Fischer won six, drew four and did not lose a single game, completely dominating the field of 12 who represent the cream of United States chess players.
He first won the title back in 1957, at the age of 14. Many at that time had considered his victory a fluke, suggesting that the other players did not take him seriously enough due to his age. In 1958, however, he repeated his victory. Yet, there were still some who felt he would not last. When in 1959, he narrowly won again, all critics were silenced, especially when he went on to qualify for the World Challengers Tourney.
International successes followed one upon the other, until last year he finally suffered a setback at an international event in Argentina. Suddenly his critics came crawling out from under the chess board, proclaiming once again that “the kid doesn't have what it takes.”
The chatter did not subside even when, shortly after, he successfully represented the United States on top board at the Chess Olympics in Leipzig.
His latest triumph, however, will no doubt send his critics slithering back beneath the chess board, where they will probably not be heard from until the boy from Brooklyn suffers some other setback on the road to the world championship.
We don't know who the next world champion will be, but we do know that Bobby Fischer has claimed—and has the right to—that it will be himself. We won't wish him luck. He makes his own.
How Good Are You?
FEN 3n4/2pk4/1PN1Rp2/2r2P2/3pp1K1/8/8/8 w - - 0 1
White to Play and Win
This one is a beauty and it has its problems.
1. R-K7 ch!
Black has an immediate difficulty. 1. … K-B1 is met by 2. RxP checkmate, and 1. … KxN is answered by simply 2. PxP, and the threat to “queen” by either pushing on or capturing the black knight leaves black helpless. Therefore he must play 1. … K-Q3 2. PxP! NxN
Black is now the one who is clever. If white queens his pawn, then black plays 2. … N-K4 check! and “discovers” on the new queen with his rook.
3. P-B8(N)ch! This underpromotion to a knight is magnificent. The mate is now forced.
3. … K-Q4
4. N-N6ch! K-Q3
5. R-Q7ch! K-K4
6. R-Q5ch!!
The unkindest cut of all.
7. … RxR
8. N-B4checkmate!
The black king is smothered in the middle of the board, completely surrounded by his own well-meaning but useless men.
