AThe Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, Sunday, August 31, 1958
Russians Lead In Interzonal Chess
Tigran Petrosian of Russia, leading from the start, is still in front of the powerful field in the Interzonal Chess Tournament at Portoroz, Yugoslavia, according to a report from the New York Times.
After the completion of 12 rounds of the 21 scheduled, Petrosian has six wins and six draws for a score of 9-3. He is one of two players who are undefeated so far. The other is David Bronstein of Russia, whose total of 6½-4½ is composed of two wins and nine draws, with seven of the draws in successive games.
Two other Russian grandmasters are in second and third place. Mikhail Tal, Soviet champion, has 8½-3½. He has equaled Petrosian with six in the win column but lost in the fourth round to Alexander Matanovic of Yugoslavia. Following Tal is Yuri Averbakh with 7½-3½.
U.S. Champion Bobby Fischer, the 15-year-old schoolboy from Brooklyn, earned 2 points of his four games last week to maintain his plus score in the tournament. He defeated Raul Sanguinetti of Argentina in the ninth round in a 28-move Sicilian Defense.
In the 10th round Fischer drew against Oscar Panno of Argentina. The boy then suffered his second loss to Fridrik Olafsson of Iceland in a difficult ending in which time pressure was an important factor. Fischer then succeeded in drawing with Tal after the Russian obtained an early advantage.
The best comeback of the week was the magnificent showing of James T. Sherwin of New York, who scored three wins and a draw of his four starts. In the first game of this streak in the ninth round, Sherwin defeated Svetozar Gligoric of Yugoslavia after winning the exchange late in the first session.
A draw with Otto Neikirch of Bulgaria was followed by good wins for Sherwin over Geza Fuster of Canada and Hector Rossetto of Argentina.
The five leading players at Portoroz will earn the right to compete in a Challenger's Tournament next year, along with Vassily Smyslov and Paul Keres of Russia, who have been seeded into this event.
Because of a recent ruling of the International Chess Federation that not more than four players of any country may enter the Challenger's Tournament, only two of the Russians at Portoroz can advance. This evidently creates more opportunities for other nationals.
Following are the standings after 12 rounds and the Fischer-Bronstein game.
Fischer In Belgrade
Bobby Fischer spent several weeks in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, before the start of the Interzonal Tournament. During that period he engaged in two practice matches with Yugoslavia masters.
Fischer defeated Matulovic by 2½-1½. Against Janosevic, the result was two draws. One of the latter games follows. It was an exciting battle in which each contestant missed opportunities.
