The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, Sunday, January 10, 1960
Fischer Wins Again In U.S. Title Chess
For the third year in succession Brooklyn schoolboy Bobby Fischer walked off with the Lessing J. Rosenwald challenge trophy, emblematic of the United States Chess Championship, according to a report from the New York Times.
Winning seven games and allowing four draws, Fischer registered a score of 9-2, a full point ahead of his nearest competitor. Not once has he tasted defeat in any of the three annual events. Considering that he started the streak at the age of 14, this is perhaps the most sensational result in the long history of chess.
Fischer improved his position steadily throughout the tournament and seemed to be playing most forcefully in the later rounds. He made certain of the title in the semifinal round when he defeated Paul Benko, former Hungarian refugee now residing in New York.
When Fischer faced former U.S. champion Samuel Reshevsky on the final day, he was already 1½ points ahead and the anticipated drama of the big game was gone. Reshevsky, with the white pieces, made an earnest effort to win, but the champion defended easily to draw in 40 moves.
Reshevsky's downfall was due largely to a loss in an adjourned eighth-round game to Arnold S. Denker, U.S. champion in 1944 who had been in poor form in this event. Denker built up a king side attack and though the heavy pieces were exchanged he retained an end-game advantage to win in 55 moves.
Coming up from nowhere, second place was clinched in the last round by Robert Byrne, a faculty member of the University of Indianapolis. Byrne was the only other undefeated player besides Fischer, winning five times and drawing six. After winning only twice in the first eight rounds, Byrne took his last three games for a rapid ascent.
Reshevsky, who had previously lost to Herbert Seidman and drawn four games, wound up in third place with 7½-3½. This was the lowest position in some years for the man who had dominated American chess in the pre-Fischer era. Benko, who won his last-round game against Sidney Bernstein, finished fourth with 7½-3½.
Following are details of the later rounds and games from the tournament. A complete score table appears below.
