The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore, Maryland, Tuesday, September 16, 1958
American Chess Ace, 15, Returns To Books
New York, Sept. 15 (AP)—Fifteen-year-old Bobby Fischer, the only American to qualify for next year's World Challengers' Chess tournament, arrived by plane today for a bout with his high school books.
Fischer tied for fifth place in the Inter-Zonal World Chess tournament at Portoroz, Yugoslavia, to qualify for the Challengers' tourney in 1959. If he wins that one, he will be entitled to play Soviet World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik for the world title in 1960.
The youth, a junior at Erasmus High School in Brooklyn, was met at Idlewild Airport by his mother, Mrs. Regina Fischer.
Fischer, the youngest person to ever qualify for the Challenger's tournament, was asked if he thought he could beat Botvinnik. He shrugged noncommittally.