New York Times, New York, New York, Saturday, January 05, 1963 - Page 14
Chess: Bizarre Defense Keeps The Kibitzers Awake
In the fourth round of the United States Chess Championship at the Henry Hudson Hotel, a spine-tingling draw between the champion, Larry Evans, and Bobby Fischer kept the kibitzers awake hours after the game was finished analyzing the fantastic aspects of this bizarre Gruenfeld defense.
At Black's 19th turn, a dozen weird tactical possibilities were there. The most dangerous for White would have been 19 … Q-B3 (instead of 19 … QxQ).
After the game, Manhattan Club expert Bernard Zuckerman, whose reputation for an exhaustive knowledge of the openings is well known, pointed this out to Fischer and asked him if he had not considered it.
Fischer said he had, but that it was insufficient after 20 Kt-K2, Q-B6, 21 Kt-Kt3, B-R3 22 B-B5. At this writing no clear-cut winning continuation for Black has come to hand and it seems that White should maintain the piece.
As the game was actually played, Fischer erred with 22 … B-Kt5, allowing White to win a pawn by 23 B-Q4. Because of the awkward position of the white king, however, the pawn plus was only sufficient to divide the point.
Hans Berliner versus Edmar Mednis from the same round was a tricky and convincing performance by Berliner. His 19 P-KB5 was a sharp thrust at Black's pawn skeleton, combining a trap. Black snapped at the bait with 19 … BxKt, no doubt overlooking White's reply 20 R-Q5. So, instead of winning a piece, Black had exchanged his defending bishop for an inactive knight. Then White's offer of a pawn, which could not be refused, 24 P-B6ch, quickly settled the issue.