APittsburgh Sun-Telegraph Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Saturday, October 18, 1958
Soviet, U.S. Teams Draw 1st Round of Chess Olympics
Russia and America met and drew all four games in the first round of the Chess Olympics at Munich, West Germany.
The 12 nations which finished in the top three positions in the preliminary sections are entered in the championship match and the other 12 in the consolations.
Reshevsky's request for a few hours delay in the start of his game against World Champion Botvinnik last Saturday was denied and Bill Lombardy, world junior champion defended the first board.
Arthur Bisguier opposed Vassily Smyslov, another world champion; Nicholas Rossolimo played against David Bronstein; and Larry Evans faced Paul Keres.
Regardless of the final outcome, the draw individual encounters against the Russians with their two world champions must mark the tournament as a success for the Americans.
There were the four games the Soviets were most anxious to win and could not although we were deprived of our most powerful player on the team and left our finest chesser at home because of time conflict with his sophomore high school classes; the nonpareil, Robert Fischer.
IT IS INTERESTING to perceive how Reshevsky's request for a short delay was declined for in the past the Grand Master's strict adherence to orthodox religious rituals not to play on the Sabbath has been honored.
He has had frequent difficulty when playing in tournaments abroad to comply with the dietary restrictions of his faith and has had to subsist on hard-boiled eggs and herring.
We cannot believe that Botvinnik would be so lacking in magnanimity and attribute the protest to the Soviet team managers. Although their opposition was the formidable Russian team, the Americans took the disappointment with good grace. What a fuss the USSR would have made of the adverse ruling were they the offended party!
