U.S. To Enter World Student Tourney

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The Los Angeles Times Los Angeles, California Sunday, March 15, 1964 - Page 106

U.S. To Enter World Student Tourney
The U.S. Chess Federation definitely intends to enter a team in the World Student Team Championship, which will take place at Crakow, Poland from July 18 to Aug. 2.
Good news is that U.S. champion Bobby Fischer has agreed to play, and he will of course be first board for the American team. Others on the team are U.S. Open titleholder William Lombardy, who will be team captain, and Raymond Weinstein.
The fourth regular position may be filled by Dr. Anthony Saidy. Two reserves must be picked as well from a number of eligible students.
This promises to be the strongest team ever to represent the U.S. in the student event. Our prospects for victory would be excellent, despite the formidable competition to be expected.
The winner last year was Czechoslovakia. Yugoslavia was second, the favored team from the Soviet Union tied for third with Bulgaria and the U.S. was fifth in the 19-nation tournament.
Lombardy was captain and top board of last year's team Other members were Raymond Weinstein and Bernard Zuckerman of New York, Mitchell Sweig of Chicago and Walt Cunningham of Arcadia.
The U.S. was victorious In 1960 when our team was Lombardy, Weinstein. Charles Kalme, Saidy, Edmar Mednis and Robert Cross.

Chess: Evans, Strong on Theory, Is Powerful Over the Board Too

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New York Times, New York, New York, Monday, January 13, 1964 - Page 32

Chess: Evans, Strong on Theory, Is Powerful Over the Board Too
Larry Evans of New York, a former national champion, is a dangerous competitor in any field. His theoretical knowledge, backed up by staying power and confident style, usually assures him a top place in any tournament.
Though he got off to a bad start in the recent United States Chess Championship—drawing his first-round game with Dr. Anthony Saidy of Puerto Rico and losing his second-round game to the champion, Bobby Fischer of Brooklyn—Evans finished in second place in the 12-man round-robin. His score was 7½-3½, consisting of 6 wins, 3 draws and 2 losses.
Against Edmar Mednis of New York, Evans as White in a King's Indian Defense castled on the queen side. He contained the opposing queen's wing by 13 P-QR4 and was well poised for strong action in the center and other flank.
Here, Mednis came to a bad decision, seeking to open lines for counterplay. But 13 … P-K3 seriously weakened his backward queen pawn, and his troubles mounted rapidly. While struggling to defend his weakling in the center, he could not find time to repel Evan's assault on the king's side.
White's intentions were clear after 17 P-KN4. Black was compelled into the awkward maneuver 17 … R-Q1, followed by 18 … N-K1. In a few moves, White's command of his Q5, and the acceleration of his king-side pawn-roller, which culminated in the break at his KR5, routed the Black forces.
Black's sacrifice of a knight could not delay the inevitable.
Sammy Reshevsky of Spring Valley, N.Y., disappointed his followers when he finished in a tie for 4th and 5th places with Dr. Anthony Saidy of Puerto Rico. His score, 6½-4½, was warped by two losses, to Raymond Weinstein of Brooklyn and Fischer, respectively. And he permitted a stalemate against Evans.
Against Weinstein, with a piece to the good, Reshevsky blundered outright. Against Fischer, in a delicate position, Reshevsky had an edge at one point, but, under time pressure, miscalculated. Nonetheless, Reshevsky achieved some performances in his best style. One of these was the Benoni Defense as White against Saidy.

Knight Is Stuck
Observe Black's 12…

Chess: Quietly, Positionally, Fischer Cracks His Opponent's Line

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New York Times, New York, New York, Thursday, January 09, 1964 - Page 28

Chess: Quietly, Positionally, Fischer Cracks His Opponent's Line
The Ruy Lopez between Bobby Fischer and Raymond Weinstein, the youngest players in the recent United States championship, demonstrated Fischer's positional finesse.
The dominant theme was the gain of space on the queen's wing and center after 13 P-Q5. In addition, the move nullified Black's 12…B-N2 by closing the bishop's long diagonal.
The build-up came with 15 P-QN4 and 16 P-QR4, after which the queen rook file was controlled by White and Black's forces were extremely cramped. Tactical accuracy was required to exploit these assets.
White, for example, exercised caution in not grabbing a pawn after Black's 24…R-N1. For 25 BxN, BxB; 26 BxP, BxB; 27 QxB would be refuted by 27… N-B4, 28 Q-K2, RxP. But 25 R-R7 sealed the bind against the Black forces.
Black overstepped the time limit, but he had no means to save the game in any event.
Weinstein proved to be a non-drawing master in the event; every one of his games came to a decision, one way or another.
His black-side Nimzo-Indian Defense with Donald Byrne of State College, Pa., illustrated that he plays to win even when risks are involved.
Black obtained a queen-side pawn majority after 12… NxP. This, of itself, was not entirely significant. But Black's freer mobility and his ability to contain White's long-range mating threats without jeopardizing his own king's fortress was to the point.
After penetrating with 26…Q-N6, Black's threats were pertinent. Notice that 29 QxP could have been met by 29… Q-R7; 30 Q-K4, N-B7, etc.
After queens were exchanged, White was helpless. Black had the powerful knight, White the pitiful bishop.

Fischer Tops Field Here By 3½ Points

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New York Times, New York, New York, Monday, January 06, 1964 - Page 44

Fischer Tops Field Here By 3½ Points
The United States chess champion, Bobby Fischer of Brooklyn, topped his nearest rival by 3½ points after completion of all adjourned games in the 12-man championship round-robin over the weekend here.
Fischer won 11 straight games.
The rest of the field finished in the following order: second, Larry Evans, New York, 7½—3½; third, Pal Benko, New York, 7—4; fourth and fifth, Dr. Anthony Saidy, Puerto Rico, and Sammy Reshevsky, Spring Valley, each 6½—4½; sixth, Robert Byrne, Indianapolis, 5½—5½; seventh, Raymond Weinstein, Brooklyn, 5—6: eight, Arthur Bisguier, New York, 4½—6½; ninth and 10th William Addison, Los Angeles, and Edmar Mednis, New York, each 3½—7½; 11th, Robert Steinmeyer, New York, 3—8; 12th, Donald Byrne, State College, Pa., 2½—8½.
Three 10th-round games were completed at the Henry Hudson Hotel. Robert Byrne resigned to Weinstein without resumption of play, while Benko defeated Mednis when he reduced the position to a pawn ending with a pawn ahead. Reshevsky won from Steinmeyer when the latter could no longer stave off a decisive penetration.
Fischer won $2,000 and Evans $1,250 out of a total of $6,000, shared proportionately by the players.

Fischer Conquers Field In Tourney: He Is First in 70 Years to Match Chess Record

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New York Times, New York, New York, Saturday, January 04, 1964 - Page 20

Fischer Conquers Field In Tourney: He Is First in 70 Years to Match Chess Record
Bobby Fischer won his 11th straight game in the final round of the United States Chess Championship last night, giving him a perfect score, the first in a major tournament in the United States in 70 years.
Fischer defeated Dr. Anthony Saidy of Puerto Rico in 56 moves. The game had been started Thursday night and adjourned. Saidy, the last man who could have blocked Fischer's perfect score, had pondered his final, sealed, move before the adjournment for 40 minutes.
When the move was unsealed last night, however, it became apparent that it was the wrong one. Fischer himself sat down with Saidy after he had won the game to show Saidy that if he had made a different move he could have held Fischer to a draw.
Only a handful of spectators was on hand when Fischer won the final game, in contrast to the hundreds who had followed his play in previous games.
Fischer won $2,000 for placing first; Larry Evans won $1,000 for placing second.
At the age of 20 he has now won the United States championship for the sixth time, breaking a deadlock with Sammy Reshevsky, who has won it five times. Fischer first won the title when he was 14.
Not since 1893 when Dr. Emanuel Lasker won 13 games in a row has a player in a major United States championship won all his games. The following year Lasker went on to win the world championship.
Two games were completed in the final round at the Henry Hudson Hotel on Thursday night. Arthur Bisguier of New York defeated William Addison of Los Angeles in 38 moves of a Sicilian in Reverse. Larry Evans of New York won from Donald Byrne of State College, Pa., in 47 moves of a Gruenfeld Defense.
Four games were adjourned. Robert Steinmeyer of New York and Sammy Reshevsky of Spring Valley played 41 moves of a Neo Gruenfeld Defense, with Reshevsky having the better position. Raymond Weinstein of Brooklyn had five pawns for a piece in a King's Indian Defense with Robert Byrne of Indianapolis. Weinstein was favored to win. Pal Benko and Edmar Mednis, both of New York, were in a difficult position, reached by a Catalan Opening.

Fischer Keeps Title At Chess Tourney

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New York Times, New York, New York, Wednesday, January 01, 1964 - Page 22

Fischer Keeps Title At Chess Tourney
Bobby Fischer of Brooklyn, the 20-year-old United States chess champion, has retained his title.
Donald Byrne of State College, Pa., resigned his ninth-round adjourned game with Fischer Monday night without further play, giving Fischer a score of 9-0. No one else in the 12-man field has a mathematical chance of equalizing Fischer's score.
In the 10th and penultimate round of the tournament, being played at the Henry Hudson hotel, Fischer defeated Pal Benko of New York. On the white side of a Pirc Defense, he executed an irrefutable mating attack sparked by the offer of a rook. Benko resigned on his 21st turn.
Other tenth-round results follow: Robert Byrne of Indianapolis, on the white side of a Gruenfeld Defense, defeated Robert Steinmeyer of New York after 39 moves. Dr. Anthony Saidy of Puerto Rico, as black in a King's Fianchetto, defeated Donald Byrne after 39 moves.
A draw was recorded in the Queen's Gambit Declined between Sammy Reshevsky of Spring Valley, N.Y., and Arthur Bisguier of New York.
Two games were adjourned: William Addison of Los Angeles vs. Larry Evans of New York, in an even position, and Edmar Mednis of New York vs. Raymond Weinstein of Brooklyn, in a position favorable to Mednis.
—
The 11th and final round will be played tomorrow at 7 P.M. The pairings follow: Saidy vs. Fischer; Evans vs. D. Byrne; Bisguier vs. Addison; Steinmeyer vs. Reshevsky; Weinstein vs. R. Byrne; Benko vs. Mednis. The first named player has the white pieces.

Fischer Retains U.S. Championship

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The Los Angeles Times Los Angeles, California Sunday, January 05, 1964 - Page 89

Fischer Retains U.S. Championship
U.S. champion Bobby Fischer, playing the finest chess of his career, won nine games in succession to clinch first place in the current tournament for the title at the Henry Hudson Hotel in New York.
Though two rounds are still to be completed at this writing, none of his 11 rivals could equal Fischer's total. Among Fischer's victims in this sensational streak were former champions Arthur Bisguier, Larry Evans and Samuel Reshevsky.
In second place at this stage was Pal Benko, with a score of 5-3. He had won three games, drawn four and lost to Evans. Benko was scheduled to face Fischer in the semi-final round.
Evans was in third place with 4½-2½ and two games adjourned. He was defeated by Raymond Weinstein as well as by Fischer. Reshevsky was tied with Dr. Anthony Saidy, each with 4-3 scores.
California champion William G. Addison lost to Reshevsky and Fischer in successive rounds to drop down to 2½-4½. Addison finished tied for third in last year's tournament, but is clearly not in the same form this time.
Other tallies after nine rounds, with some games adjourned, were: Weinstein, 4-4; Robert Byrne, 3½-3½; Bisguier 3-5; Robert Steinmeyer, 3-6; Donald Byrne, 2-5, and Edmar Mednis, 1½-6½.
Following are results of play last week and games from the tournament.