The Courier-Journal Louisville, Kentucky Sunday, April 03, 1960
Fischer Defeated By Russian
By Merrill Dowden
Russia's Boris Spassky, former world junior champion, defeated Bobby Fischer, 17-year-old United States champion, as the International Chess Tournament got under way last week at Mar del Plata, Argentina.
The New York Times News Service reports that Spassky, meeting the American for the first time, resorted to a King's Gambit along the lines of the Kierseritsky Variation. He sacrificed a Pawn, quickly got both Rooks into action, and finally won a piece by force after crowding Fischer's Queen out of position.
However, Fischer's game with Brazil's Olisio Gadia on Friday ended on a happier note, Fischer winning with a Sicilian Defense in only 23 moves.
Friday also saw a turn in the fortunes of defending World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik of Russia, who at last cracked the ice in the title match with the Latvian, Mikhail Tal.
Botvinnik won the eighth game of the 24-game series to reduce his rival's impressive lead to 5-3.