AThe San Francisco Examiner San Francisco, California Tuesday, April 14, 1964 - Page 3
Chess - 50 Against 1
A tall, sandy-haired youth, his arms moving rhythmically as he moved from side to side, played chess with 50 opponents here last night.
This was Bobby Fischer, six times U. S. Chess champion, and at 20 this nation's hope for its first world title.
Last night Fischer moved decisively in the middle of a big L lined with 50 chess boards and 50 chess players.
Thirteen moves along Fischer lost to 32-year-old Bob Berger, an advertising man from Lafayette and one of the top players in the Mechanics Institute Chess Club.
Then in rapid succession Fischer copped three victories as he moved through his third of some 40 exhibitions on a current nationwide tour.
Kurt Bendit, who arranged the matches, said Fischer had certain advantages to make up for so many opponents.
First, Bendit said, he gets the white on each board which means first move, and second his opponents must move when he arrives in front of their board while he can linger over his moves.
“He sacrifices freely and yet acceptance of the sacrifice leads to certain doom,” explained Bendit as he watched Fischer and another player exchange their queens.
The Brooklyn youth's unprecedented 11-0 victory Jan. 4 in the U. S. championships led many to acclaim him in terms Bendit seconded:
“We all feel with his appearance on the scene that chess is going to get a boost in the United States.”
