Daily News New York, New York Sunday, January 05, 1958
Chess Battle Royal Will End on Tuesday
Three weeks of nerve-wracking concentration will end Tuesday at the Manhattan Chess Club, 35 W. 64th St. in the crowning of the chess king of the United States.
The tourney has captured the attention of 750,000 fans and kibitzers in the metropolitan area, according to Maurice J. Kasper, director of the 90-year-old club.
“Strictly for Pros”
“This one is strictly for the pros,” Kasper said. All 14 entrants are chess masters, and one, Samuel Reshevsky, is an international grand master.”
Other top competitors for the title and the Lessing J. Rosenwald trophy accompanying it are: Arthur Bisguier, the present U.S. champ; William Lombardy, world junior champ; Arnold Denker and James Sherwin.
“Bobby Fischer of Brooklyn is also playing,” Kasper said. Fischer, of 560 Lincoln Place, is the 14-year-old prodigy whom some chess experts acclaim as potentially the greatest player in the world.
“Once in a Century”
“A player of his caliber comes along once in a century,” according to Kasper. Fischer holds the U.S. open championship, which he won in 1956, and the New Jersey open, won last September.
“In this tournament,” Kasper said, ”each of the 14 plays the others once. A win counts one point and a tie counts one-half. The player with the most points wins.”
In addition to the trophy and the title, the winner captures the first leg on the world championship match. He qualifies to enter a zonal contest where champions from all nations compete to challenge the world champion since last year, Vassily Smyslov of Russia.
The club, the oldest in this country, was founded in 1867 and incorporated in 1877, and, said Kasper, “has been the home of many of the world's greatest players since its founding.”
