AThe Courier-Journal, Louisville, Kentucky, Sunday, March 30, 1958
Young U.S. Titlist Likes To Ski, Too
Bobby Fischer, the 14-year-old Brooklyn prodigy who startled the chess world by winning both the United States open and closed championships in recent months, has made a deal with skimeister Tony Kastner at the Grossinger County Club, Grossinger, N.Y.
Fischer, who is just learning to ski, gets lessons from Kastner. In return, the youngster is teaching the skiman how to play chess. Bobby should be qualified. He has beaten just about everyone in sight.
“Bobby is an excellent student,” says Kastner. “He's extremely anxious to learn. Every morning I've found Bobby waiting for me when I came down to open the ski shop.”
No doubt many readers of this column got a good look at young Fischer last Wednesday night when he appeared on television to receive tickets to Russia, where he will play in the big tournaments of that chess-minded country.
Young prodigies are nothing new to chess. Paul Morphy of New Orleans, who later was to win the world championship, took a short match at the age of 12 from a master, J. Loewenthal. Samuel Reshevsky was famous at 6. Arturito Pomar won the championship of Spain at 15, and Jose Capablanca was champion of Cuba at 12.
