The Los Angeles Times Los Angeles, California Sunday, November 27, 1960
Fischer, Reshevsky In U.S. Title Match
The tournament for the United States chess championship and the Lessing J. Rosenwald Trophy will be held in New York from Dec. 16 to Jan. 1. A round robin will be contested among 12 of the strongest American masters.
Bobby Fischer, brilliant 17-year-old Brooklyn school boy, will be back from Europe in time to defend the title, which he has won for the last three years. Fischer made a fine performance at first board for the American team in the Chess Olympics in Leipzig.
Samuel Reshevsky of Spring Valley, N.Y., who had practically dominated Americans chess until Fischer came along, will be the man to watch. Last July he tied for first with Victor Korchnoi of Russia in a master tournament in Buenos Aires. Fischer made a minus score in that event, winding up in 13th place.
In his most recent appearance Reshevsky defeated Paul Benko, former Hungarian champion now residing in New York, by 5½-4½ in a match for the George P. Edgar Trophy. Benko will also be a dangerous competitor in the championship tournament.
Among the entrants are four of the team who, along with Fischer, were responsible for our capturing second prize in the Chess Olympics. They are former world junior champion William Lombardy, U.S. Open champion Robert Byrne, former U.S. champion Arthur Bisguier and former U.S. junior champion Raymond Weinstein.
Completing the list are Hans Berliner, Charles Kalme, Anthony Saidy, Herbert Seidman and James Sherwin.
Adding considerable interest to the tournament is the fact that it has been designated by the U.S. Chess Federation as the zonal tournament in the next cycle to determine a world championship contender. The leading three players will be eligible to participate in the interzonal tournament to be held next year.
