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

U.S. Chess Prodigy May Win Crown

Back to 1958 Index

Edmonton Journal Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Monday, April 07, 1958

U.S. Chess Prodigy May Win Crown
Fifteen-year-old Bobby Fischer, now United States chess champion, may be America's answer to Russian chess supremacy, says a former Canadian champion who himself was a “boy wonder.”
Abe Yanofsky, five times Canadian champion or co-champion, North American champion in 1942 and British champion in 1953, said that in five years the Brooklyn prodigy will probably be in the world championship contender class.
“He is not the first child prodigy but he is the first who has ever gone so far at such an age,” said the 32-year-old Winnipeg lawyer in an interview.

Compared With Russian
He compared Fischer to Mikhail Tal, youngest player ever to reach the Russian championship which he won in 1956 at age 19. Tal's attainment compared with that of the younger American, since it is harder to win the Russian title than the American.
“It is quite possible that in a couple of years Fischer will become a grand master.” he said.
However, Yanofsky said he doubts Fischer will reach the world championship class in the next round of international competition. Fischer now ranks as an international master—not a grand master—as a result of his victories in the U.S.
The four-year cycle of international events started last year with qualifications in the various international zones. The inter-zone finals are being held this year, at Portoroz, Yugoslavia, Aug. 15 to Sept. 15. There the top five qualify for the candidates' tournament in 1959, and the winner then is entitled to challenge the world champion in 1960.
World champion Vasily Smyslov currently is playing a 24-game world title match in Moscow against challenger Mikhail Botvinnik, a former champion. As of April 1 Botvinnik had won four and lost two, with five draws, making the point score Botvinnik 6½, Smyslov 4½. The first to reach 12½ points is the winner.
Tal, who won the Russian title again this year, will likely play in Yugoslavia; Russia may have at least six players in the event. Fischer was given a round-trip plane ticket to Yugoslavia by a U.S. television show. The other U.S. eligible, 46-year-old grand master Samuel Reshevsky, is not expected to make the trip.

In Big Time At 15
Yanofsky himself was 15 when he entered the international big time in 1939 in a tournament at Buenos Aires. College and navy service during the Second World War intervened before he won an international master's rating in 1946 at a tourney in Holland.
A contrast between Fischer and Yanofsky, the chess prodigy of a few years back, is that the American boy avidly studies works on chess while Yanofsky says he didn't. Just after defeating Botvinnik in 1946 Yanofsky said: “I never really got down to any serious study of chess. A fellow can read chess books—the only one I've read through was Alekhine's My Hundred Best Games—but I've found the best way to learn is to play against the masters of different countries.”
Yanofsky, however, has since written two books on chess and has a fine chess library.
He started playing when he was nine, in the Jewish Chess Club in Winnipeg.
He recalled that until he was 15 he had no worries except school work and could concentrate on chess. Now, after an absence of several years from major tournaments, he has found that as an adult with responsibilities such as a law career and a family—he was married in 1950—he plays a different type of game.
Yanofsky suggested that Fischer, now wrapped up in chess and with little interest in anything else, still has a few years to go without distractions. His development as he gets older will likely be slower, Yanofsky said.

U.S. Chess Prodigy May Win Crown
Duplicates

'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