I ' w, • U.S. Champion,hip Committee Chairman Mourice Ko.p<!' with Robert J. FiICher, Champion for the eighth t ime, a. poi,in9s for the 1966-1967 cycnt were "clng onnounced. UNITED STATES Volu me xxn Number 1 January, 1967 EDITOR: Burt Hochberg CHESS FEDERATION CONTENTS PR!SIDENT Marshall Rohland VIC!·PRF.SIDENT Fischer Wins U.S. Championshi p (Ho-H um), by Burt Hochberg .. .... .... .. 3 Isaac Kuhdan REGIONAL VICE·PRE$IDI!NTS Chess Li fe Here and There, compiled by William Goichberg .... .. ..7 , IS, 18 NEW ENGLAND llmel Bollon Huold Dond ... Breaking Through the Suttles Stonewa ll , by Dr. Anthony Soidy .... .......... 8 Ell Bourdon EASTERN Robe rl LaBelle Lawll E. Wood Adventures in Havana , by Pa l Benko .. .... .......... .. .. .... .. .. ............ ........... ... 9 MIChael Raimo MID-ATLANTIC Earl Clny Steve Carruthers Larry Eva ns on Chess .................. ..... .. ....... .......... ... .. ..... ... .............. ... ... ... 11 Roberl Erku SOUTHERN PhlUp Lamb Women's Chess, by Kathryn Sl ater ... ....... ... ..... ............. .. ...... ... ... ........... 12 P ~I.r Lahdt Carroll M. Crull GREAT LAKES Donald W. HUdln, From the Ed itor's File ... .. .... .. ... .... ................. ... ... ......... ........ .. ... .... .. ....... 13 Dr . Un".y MCClellan V. E. Vandenbur, NOAT H CENTRAL Dr. Geor,. TI er. Harold M. Ph ill ips ................................................... .. .... ........................ 14 Robert Lem e r K en Rykir.en SOUTHWESTERN W. W. Crt . Record-Sha ttering Event .... .. ... ... .... ..... ........ .. .. ......................................... 14 JaM A. Howell Park B18hop PACIFIC Burr. rd Eddy Games by USCF Members, by John W. Collins .............. .. .... ... ...... ........... 16 Kenneth J one. Col. Pal,l1 L. W abb Tournament Life, compiled by Wi llia m GO ichberg .... ................ ........ ..... 19 SECRETARY Dr. Leroy Dubeck EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR E. B. Edmondson NATIONAL CHAIRMEN .nd OFFICERS ARMED FORCES CHESS... ............. Robert Karch JOIN THE UNITED STATES CHESS FEDERATION COLLEGE CHIiSS......... ....................... Paui C. Jou INDUSTRIAL CHlSS.. .......... S taniey W . D. Kina: USCF 15 a non·profit democratic orlllanilatlon, the officia l I"overnlng body and FIDE (World Sp.nn Cbess Federation) unit fo r chus In the USA. Anyon e Interested In advancing American chen ...... SI.ter Is eUa:lble for membership, with benetlts whic h Include a CHESS LIFE su bscription and elll"lblllty JUNIOR CHESS. ............. M.. M... M.M_.Robert Erkea for USCF rating. MASTERS AFFAIRS ..........................Rob(!rt Byrne Re gular Membership: 1 yeilr, $1 0.00; 1 yearl, $lt.OO; 3 yells, $21 .00. Family Membership Or MEMBERSHIP M.............. ................ DonaJd Schultz Junio r Membership (lJn der 21 at expiration dlte): I yelr, $S.OO: 2 ye.rs, $9.50; 3 yean , 513 .50. NATIONAL OPEN .. _.... ................ llerm.n Eatr. d. NOMINATIONS 'M'MM_. __ ._. __ ._. __ -I'rank Skoff Famlly memberships a pply wben two or more m embers or the .ume fam liy rulde at the Slm. RATINGS .. PAIRLNG S .. _.. __. ..... Arp. d E. £10 address and reeeive only one monthly eopy ot CHESS LIFE. The first family member POlY. rel'ular RATING STATISTICIAN __ ._ ..... Wm. Golchber, rates and each additlon;;,l m ember ",,"YS the fam ily ralu . All such m emben have the u m. TAX DE DU CTIIU LlTY .. _. ____.... Jlarold Dondls .xpintlon doIte as tlle lint member (exee pt where his Is a Lire Membership). Family memberships should be submitted togethlr. Whenever tht'y . re n ot, tbe na me, a ddress. and explfilUon datt' or TOURNAMENT ADM ~ _ .... Ge or,e KoltanolnlLL the flr$t member must be glye n: the .dded me mber(l ) will haye tile same expu-aUon dalt'. Sus­ TOURNAMENT RUL ES ........ M... M.J.mu Sherwin t.ining Member$hip (becomes Life afte r 10 conseeutive annual p aymt'nts): $20.00. Onct' a Sustll lnlni COUNSEL & TREASURERM_D.vld BoUmann U. S. CHAMP ION SHIP. ............... M."lI'ice Kuper Membership has belllun, each IlUcceu lve year's duel must ht' paid before the e xpiration d ate. U.S. OPEN ............... _ .... _.. _. __. .__ W . D. AltUI Otherwise. tbe m staInln, cycle stuta over I l" aln at year one I nd I t whlltever ral es are then In WOMEN'S CHESS ... ___ .... _.M ... _ ........ Eva Aronll)n effeeL Life Membersh ip: $200.00. CHESS LIFE Is publlsbed m onthly by USCF and entered as .... cond·dasa m atter at East WORLD CHESS FEDERATION Dubuque, nllnols. Non-member l·yr .•U bRrlptlon: $6 .50 (57 .50 outside USA): single copy : 6 ~ (is, (F.I.D.E.) outside USA). Change of . ddru l : Allow , Lx weeki n otice; pleue a:lve us both the Dew address and the old address, lncludlng the numbe rl and dl tH on the top line of your stenCil. Fred Cramer Address aU communlcstlon., .nd make sll ch ecks payable to: Vice·President, ZOne 5 (U.S.A.) _._------ UNITED STATES CHI!SS FED RItATION, 10 Rut 11th Street, NEW YORK, N.Y. 10003 2 CHESS LIFE Fischer Wins U.S. Championship Ho-Hum by Burt Hochberg By defeating Samuel Reshevsky in the 10th round, Rob­ The players were then introduced individually, and at ert J. Fischer was assured of undisputed 1st place in the sliahtly after 2 P.M., the first round began. 1966-67 United States Championship. 'fhis Is the eighth time The excitement started early: Benko·Fischer and Evans· Fischer has won the title, and be did it comfortably by two Zuckerman were the games everyone was watching. Benko full points, not having lost a single game. opened with his favorite 1. P·KN3 (Game One), with which There had been some speculation before the tournament he defeated Fischer (and Tal) in CUracao 1962. This time it that Fischer might not play, After the Olympics in Havana seemed that Fischer was better prepared to solve the open· had ended about November 20, Fischer stayed on as a guest ing problems as he soon reached an even position. But com· of the Cuban iovernment and the Cuban Sports Organization plications set in; Fischer then made what most of the spec· tINDER) Cor about 10 days. From Havana, Fischer flew to tators (and the other players) thought was one of his greatest Mexico City on his way to New York (there are no direct combinations. It later developed, however, that Benko had flights), but suddenly decided to spend a lew days in Mexico. a winning combination of his own on move 24, but he didn't The "few days" stretched into a week and the U. S. Cham· see It to the end and chose another line. So what started pionship Tournament Committee was getting frantic-would as one of Fischer's best games turned out 10 be one of Benko's hc arrive in time for the start of the Championship Dec. 11? greatest disappointments. It must be admitted, however, that Telephone calls to Mexico City clarified the situation: once Benko gave him the chance, Fischer played the remainder Fischer stated that be wanted a bigger, or at least longer, of the !:arne brilliantly. tournament. Fully aware of the impossibility of arranging The Evans·Zuckerman game was a different matter (Game such a tournament on such short notice, Fischer agreed to Two). Zuckerman made a bad capture while still in the a compromise. He would play in this year's tournament if opening, something rare for him, and Evans was thereafter he were given assurances that next year's tournament would relentless in winning a brilliant and exciting game. be either a I6·or·more round robin or an 8·or-more double In other first round games, Rossolimo-Reshevsky petered round. (Further details on this matter will be found in From out into a draw after an interesting opening; D. Byrne drew the Ed itor's File in the March CHESS LIFE.) with Addison; Sherwin drew an exciting game with Robert Tournament offitials could only promise that Fischer's Byrne after an adjournment; Bisguler won from Saidy when proposal would be given the most serious considfuation; the the latter blundered on his sealed move and resigned with· rest was up to Fischer. out continuing. The tournament was scheduled to begin on Sunday, Dec. The second round produced one of the best games of the 11. Michael Valvo, the first replacement In case someone tournament in Fischer-Saidy. Saidy, according to Fiseher, could not play, was standing by. defended his bad position quite well for as long as he could, Then, on Dec. 8 (Thursday), Fiseher arrived in New but he eventually succumbed to Fischer's very well-calcu­ York and announced his readiness to play. Everyone (except lated piece sacrifice (Game Three). Most of the combinations possibly Valvo) breathed a sigh of relief and the final ar­ in the game were not actually played, but remain the task rangements were completed. of the annotators to unearth. The R. Byrne-Bisguier encoun­ On Saturday evening, Dec. 10, the drawing was held. ter was resignable by Bisguier on about move 35; although Fischer drew number 12 for the third time In a row, inducing a Rook and Bishop down , Bisguler "rimly played on in the a couple of the other players to tease him about having hope of finding a perpetual check. He didn't. "rigged" the tournament. Fischer pretended he hadn't heard. The surprise of the round was Reshevsky-D. Byrne. Re· Early afternoon, Sunday, Dee. 11 , In front of a "sold·out shevsky, we ll known for hi:; preference ror 1. p.Q4 through. house" at the Henry Hudson Hotel, Mr. Maurice Kasper, (lut his long illustrious career, played 1. P·K4, which he reo Treasurer of the American Chess Foundation and Chairman pealed as While for the rest of the tournament (except for of the USeF's U.S. Championship Committee, opened the tour­ his game against Zuckerman). Reshevsky won. Other games nament with a short address.