The Gift of Chess

Notice to commercial publishers seeking use of images from this collection of chess-related archive blogs. For use of the many large color restorations, two conditions must be met: 1) It is YOUR responsibility to obtain written permissions for use from the current holders of rights over the original b/w photo. Then, 2) make a tax-deductible donation to The Gift of Chess in honor of Robert J. Fischer-Newspaper Archives. A donation in the amount of $250 USD or greater is requested for images above 2000 pixels and other special request items. For small images, such as for fair use on personal blogs, all credits must remain intact and a donation is still requested but negotiable. Please direct any photographs for restoration and special request (for best results, scanned and submitted at their highest possible resolution), including any additional questions to S. Mooney, at bobbynewspaperblogs•gmail. As highlighted in the ABC News feature, chess has numerous benefits for individuals, including enhancing critical thinking and problem-solving skills, improving concentration and memory, and promoting social interaction and community building. Initiatives like The Gift of Chess have the potential to bring these benefits to a wider audience, particularly in areas where access to educational and recreational resources is limited.

Best of Chess Fischer Newspaper Archives
• Robert J. Fischer, 1955 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1956 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1957 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1958 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1959 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1960 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1961 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1962 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1963 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1964 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1965 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1966 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1967 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1968 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1969 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1970 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1971 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1972 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1973 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1974 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1975 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1976 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1977 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1978 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1979 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1980 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1981 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1982 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1983 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1984 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1985 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1986 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1987 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1988 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1989 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1990 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1991 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1992 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1993 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1994 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1995 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1996 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1997 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1998 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1999 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 2000 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 2001 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 2002 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 2003 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 2004 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 2005 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 2006 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 2007 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 2008 bio + additional games
Chess Columns Additional Archives/Social Media

Fischer...would play only the best? Petrosian is 'small fry'?

Back to 1958 Index

The Boston Globe Boston, Massachusetts Sunday, September 21, 1958 (Referencing: New York Times, New York, New York, Sunday, June 29, 1958)

Robert Fischer, 15-year-old Brooklyn chess wunderkind, has added two more honors to his fast-growing list. Winner of the 1957 Junior Championship, the 1957 U.S. Open and the 1957-'58 U.S. National champion, Fischer has qualified for the next challengers' tournament and has been named an international grandmaster in the process.
For over a month young Bobby toiled through the interzonal tournament at Portoroz, Yugoslavia, and finally ended in a tie for fifth place with Fridrick Olafsson, Iceland. The top scorers: 1. Tal, USSR, 13½-6½, 2. Gligoric, Yugoslavia, 13-7, 3-4, Benko, Hungary and Petrosian, USSR, 12½-7½, 5-6. Fischer and Olafsson, 12-8.
Fischer was not given a chance to qualify for the challengers', the “experts” were oddly unanimous on this score. Hindsight shows us that Fischer has not been given an outside chance to win in any of the important events he has won save the 1957 Junior U.S. titles. When one examines the names and ponders the chess talent (even genius) of some of the players who failed to qualify, the experts then look merely conservative and cautious— not purblind. Szabo, winner of a previous interzonal and veteran of many international events; Bronstein, qualified for the 1951 match and played 12-12 draw with Botvinnik; Larsen, the brilliant Dane who did so well at Dallas and who won the 1958 Mar del Plata tourney; these and others (Auerbach, Pachman, Filip, Matanovic, Panno, Sherwin, Rossetto, etc) failed to make it but Brooklyn's Bobby did.
According to the New York Times (Sept. 14) young Fischer is now stranded in Europe without funds. While he was in Moscow his expenses were paid by the Soviet sport center and the tournament committee in Portoroz picked up the tab for the duration of the tournament. Comes the end of play and Robert is on his own. Meantime his traveler's checks disappeared and he can't get a plane till Oct. 4. James Sherwin, the other U.S. representative at Portoroz, is reported to have left for New York and Lombardy who acted as Bobby's second has gone to Munich for the chess Olympiad.
The U.S. chess team for the international team tourney at Munich has been set: Reshevsky, Evans, Bisguier and Lombardy are the regulars, Rossolimo and Kashdan the alternates. Bobby Fischer, a junior at Erasmus High, can't spare the time.

Addendum to Fischer: While in Russia Bobby confined his play to blitz and skittles. Fischer wanted to compete against only the best (i.e., Botvinnik, Smyslov, Keres, etc.) and the Russians were offering only “smaller fry.” Bobby said nay, stood his ground, and later proved his point (at Portoroz) but nevertheless came away disappointed.

Fischer...would play only the best? Petrosian is 'small fry'?

'til the world understands why Robert J. Fischer criticised the U.S./British and Russian military industry imperial alliance and their own Israeli Apartheid. Sarah Wilkinson explains:

Bobby Fischer, First Amendment, Freedom of Speech
What a sad story Fischer was,” typed a racist, pro-imperialist colonial troll who supports mega-corporation entities over human rights, police state policies & white supremacy.
To which I replied: “Really? I think he [Bob Fischer] stood up to the broken system of corruption and raised awareness! Whether on the Palestinian/Israel-British-U.S. Imperial Apartheid scam, the Bush wars of ‘7 countries in 5 years,’ illegally, unconstitutionally which constituted mass xenocide or his run in with police brutality in Pasadena, California-- right here in the U.S., police run rampant over the Constitution of the U.S., on oath they swore to uphold, but when Americans don't know the law, and the cops either don't know or worse, “don't care” -- then I think that's pretty darn “sad”. I think Mr. Fischer held out and fought the good fight, steadfast til the day he died, and may he Rest In Peace.
Educate yourself about U.S./State Laws --
https://www.youtube.com/@AuditTheAudit/videos
After which the troll posted a string of profanities, confirming there was never any genuine sentiment of “compassion” for Mr. Fischer, rather an intent to inflict further defamatory remarks.

This ongoing work is a tribute to the life and accomplishments of Robert “Bobby” Fischer who passionately loved and studied chess history. May his life continue to inspire many other future generations of chess enthusiasts and kibitzers, alike.

Robert J. Fischer, Kid Chess Wizard 1956March 9, 1943 - January 17, 2008

The photograph of Bobby Fischer (above) from the March 02, 1956 The Tampa Times was discovered by Sharon Mooney (Bobby Fischer Newspaper Archive editor) on February 01, 2018 while gathering research materials for this ongoing newspaper archive project. Along with lost games now being translated into Algebraic notation and extractions from over two centuries of newspapers, it is but one of the many lost treasures to be found in the pages of old newspapers since our social media presence was first established November 11, 2017.

Special Thanks