AChattanooga Daily Times Chattanooga, Tennessee Saturday, December 20, 1958
12 Experts Play In Chess Rounds - Onlookers at Matches Eye 15-Year-Old Defending National Champion By Hermann Helms
©New York Times News Service, New York—Twelve chess players, representative of the highest chess skill in this country, started off Thursday night in the first of 11 rounds of the annual United States championship tournament for the Lessing J. Rosenwald trophy at the Manhattan Chess Club here.
Sponsored jointly by the United States Chess Federation and the American Chess Foundation, the tournament will continue, with holiday intermissions, until Jan. 5.
Except on Saturday and Sunday, when there are afternoon sessions from 2 to 7 o'clock, the hours of play will be from 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. The time limit is 40 moves in 2½ hours for each player.
The schedule is planned so that each contestant has the white pieces in alternate rounds.
The cynosure for all eyes was 15-year-old Bobby Fischer of Brooklyn, who not only won the national title a year ago but made good in the interzonal tournament at Portoroz in Yugoslavia, where he was equal fifth and sixth. He came back with the official title of “grandmaster.”
In the opening round he was paired with the world junior champion, William Lombardy of New York, who coached him at Portoroz.
Samuel Reshevsky of Spring Valley, N.Y., expected by his many supporters to recapture the U.S. title, was a child marvel in his day. At 8 he was able to hold his own against strong New Yorkers. Since then he has rolled up an impressive record, including five U.S. championships and many international prizes. His latest was to win the international tournament in Israel.
His first opponent, last night, was Donald Byrne of Valparaiso, Ind., former national open champion. It was the first game to be finished, Byrne having the white side of an English opening. Cautious play on both sides for 16 moves left them in equality. Reshevsky then offered a draw which Byrne accepted.
The only victory of the round went to Larry Evans, one of the international grandmasters, who, playing the black side of an English opening, defeated Paul Benko, another international grandmaster in 39 moves.
