Volume XVJ( Number 4 APRIL, 1962 40 Cenls Spotlight on the Interzonal "U. S. AMATEUR" by Leonard Barden The USCF has completcd arrange· ments for this year's U.S. Amateur Stockholm, 1962, may come to be recognized as the event which marked the Chess Championship, to be played in begir.ning of a decisive shift of power in world chess. For the first time since the Asbury Park ovcr the weekend of May 25·26·27. The Amateur has long been interzonal and candidates' tournaments began as eliminating contests for the cham· one of the nation's most popular chess pionship in 1948, the Sovict grandmasters failcd to capture first prizc. Bobby cvcnts, and there are indications that Fischer's winning margin of 21fz points reflects his complcte domination of the this year's tournament will be the largo cver.t. It owed nothing to luck: he never hll d a clcarly lost position. est ever. In addition to trophies for the mcn's This was a victory rema rkable not only fo r its margin, but for the maturity of and women's amateur championship, chess style by which it was achieved. Il seemed that Fischer waS combining the iron three junior prizes will be awarded: one logic of a Botvinnik, the fanatical zeal to win of Alekhine, and the endgame purity for the top scorer under 21 years of of Capablanca and Rubinstein. age, one for top under·18 player, and Ilight from the early rounds, Fischer was among the leaders. Aftcr shar ing the one for the best score by a I6-year·old top spot with Dr. Miroslav Filip of Czechoslovakia and then with Wolfgang t:hl· or younger. Class A, B, C, and t:nrated mann of East Germany, the United States representative took the lead on his ow n prizes will also be awarded. in the eleventh round, and was never again caught. The Soviet players made a This year, too, the Masters will get fierce effort to deprive Bobby of first pl'ize whcn thcy met him in Rounds 16·19 : a brcak. Forty·five USCF masters arc but, surviving a continuous battering from Ewfim Geller by an excellent blend of being invited to play in the Atlantic defcnse and counter attack, and cracking the resistance of Victor Korchnoi at the Coast Masters Tournament to be held end of the session, Robby emer~c d with a plus score against thc Russians. His total concurrently with the Amateur. against the Sovict grandmasten, at Blcd and Stockholm combined is four wins, four But primarily, the U.S. Amateur is draws, no defeats. l or the rank and file chess player, en· abling him to test his skill (and r ating!) Now Fischer has qualified (or the Ca ndidates' tournament in Curacao, Dutch by playing against a great variety or Wcst Indies, in May and June. His opponents there will be Ewfim Geller, Paul styles-improvement guaranteed. Keres, VIctor Korchnoi, Tigran Pctrosian, and Mikhail Tal. all o[ the Soviet Union: For further details see the Tourna· Dr. Miroslav Filip of Czechoslovakia; and ment announcements on the back cover Pal BEnko of the l:nited States. I or write to the U.S. Chess Federation lor Benko Does Well a brochure. But for a blundcr in the closing rounds against Lajos Portisch, Hungar· ,• WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP SET ian champion. Benko would also have The United States Women's Cham· brought off a brilliant success by quali· pionship wlil be held in New York City fying for the Candidates' tournament lrom April 22 through May 6. Eleven without the need for a play·off match of the top women players in the country, with Stein and Gligoric. ch.osen according to their USCI" ratings, W ill c<lmpete for the national title as well as for the right to represent the t:nited Stales in the ncxt Women's Can· didateS Tournament. The lineup will consist of defending champion Lisa Lane, former champions Mary Bain, Gisela K. Gresser, M. May ,1 KarU, Women's Amateur Champion , Greta Fucils_all of New York City; Mary Selensky. Philadelphia; Lucille Kell ncr , Detroi t; Jacqueline Piatigorsky, Los Angeles; Eva Aronson, Chicago; Mil· dred Morrell , Arella, Pa.; and Kate Silo lars, Wilmctte, III. The tourname nt will be played at the ~l a rshall and Manhat. tan Chess Clubs, except for round eight Portisch played 38. R·Q4? ?, and Benko, which will be played at the London Ter: with only seconds Icft on his clock to The U.S. candidil tes eXil mine an In· race Club. Dr. Edward Lasker will di· (Cont'd next page) te rzona I position, rect. Spotllght-Cont'd. A Soviet View of Bobby Fischer reach the time control at move 40, reo plied 38 ......... , NxP?? eventually draw- by International Grandmaster Alexander Kotoy ing. Instead, either 38 ........., P-K4 or 38. .. .. .... , N·K6 chj followed by .. ...... , P-K4 j (specially contributed to CHESS LIFE) wins a piece and the game. Benko saw Curiously cnO'Ugh, I only met Bobby Fischer fo r the fi rst time in Stockholm. the winning move even as he was play- When he visited M03COW, I was out or town, and I never. met him at other tourna­ ing ........ , NxP. ments. However, I knew very well his excellent games, and had many stories and anecdotes about him. After these stories, I was expecting to see a yo ung boy in CURACAO PROSPECTS. strange clothcs, making rude remarks all the time; but it was a great pleasure (or me to see quite another person. I -asked Alexander Kotov, captain of the Russian grandmasters in Stockholm, Fischer in Stockholm was an elegant young man, saying very little. rather shy. what will be one of the 64-dollar ques· He was sometimes nervous durina the game, and asked that spectators should not tions at Curacao. " What wiU your grand· disturb him. It is true that he never greeted the ch ief referee, grandmaster G. masters do," I said, " if, at the beginning Stahlbc! rg, and reminded me of my colleague S. Reshevsky, who never greeted me of the last round at Curacao, ~' i sc her and other participants during the two-months' Candidates' Tou rnament in Zurich 1953. and Tal are level in first place and But Bobby conquered the hearts ,,1 Swedish chessplayers with his brilliant play Fischer has to meet Geller and Tal and his boundless love {or chess. The most interesting endgames that Fischer played plays Petrosian? Wouldn't Pctrosian be in Stoc kholm were stamped with the highest class of accuracy and precision. I talked tempted to throw the game to Tal?" with the ex-champion of the world Max Euwe, when he visited Stockholm during the tournament, and he also was surprised wit h the extraordinary qualities of the Kotov replied: "No Soviet player has e ighteen-year-old player . Fischer played the endgame wi th Ba rcza in the slyle of ever thrown a game to another Soviet Capablanca; against Gligoric, he defended in the ending with the wisdom of the competitor in an international tourna­ most experienced old chess wo lf. ment. On the contrary, I myself defeated Botvinnik when he was fighting it out Alter every game, Bobby look the chessboard and pieees along to the cloakroom; for first prize with Euwe at Groningen this was the only place available Cor post-mortenl analysis. He analyzed his gamcs 1946, and I again won from Smyslov for many hours, no matter whether his opponent was grandmaster Petrosian or Aarcm when he and Reshevsky were contesting from India., who was last in the Stockholm tournament. He was not stuck-up the lead in the 1953 Candidates' tourna­ or supercilious. ment. After Gellcr's deCeat by Pomar , Fischer had two points mc.yc than his nearest rivals. "How many points did you score in 1952?" Bobby asked me, as we walked "Of course, there have been short from the tournament hall to the hotel. dnws. without fi ght, among Soviet grandmasters in International events: I laughed. " You are seeking one more rival," I re plied. "I scored 16lh out of 20." but you can sec for yo urself that this Booby began to count. "Then I must have 181k ," he said : " I shall have!" does not only happen with Russian play· And he finished the tournament with an excellent score. He did not lose a game, ers, nor indeed only with competitors and scored many brilliant victories. from the same co untry. Look, {or in· "What do the New York newspapers write about your successes?" I asked stance, at the games played in interna· Bobby on one occasion. tional events between grandmaster Stahl­ "Nothing," he answered angrily. "They like to wr ite only bad things about me." berg and other players with peaceful And in a little while 1 knew these " bad things." The laughing Stahlberg showed styles." me "Harper's Magazine" (or January, 1962. It is incorrect that Mr. Ginzburg should 0 1 course, it is an advantage to a write in such a way about one of the strongest chessplayers of the world. ' grandmaster to know that he can n otch It is true that Fischer is a little bit 01 a prima-donna in chess; and it is right up a short draw with a compatriot or that he ought to continue his studies. He should remembcr that all the world lriend when he feels like a rest day, champio ns have been highly educated men. Lasker, Ca pablanca, Alekhine, and while his rival may have to light hard Botvinnik must be the examples for yo ung men.