New York Times, New York, New York, Monday, September 16, 1963 - Page 32
Chess: Fischer Seeks, Obtains and Exploits Minute Advantage
The 20-year-old American grand master, Bobby Fischer of Brooklyn, sweeping all opposition aside to score 7 points out of a possible 7, won the first prize in the New York State Open Championship over the Labor Day weekend. There were 58 players in the seven-round, Swiss-system tournament, played in Poughkeepsie.
Fischer, when he plays White, is a confirmed 1 P-K4 addict. Rarely, in serious tournaments, does he make any other first move. Handling the chess men the way a virtuoso conductor handles an orchestra, he seeks and obtains the most minute advantages.
In the games that follow, from Poughkeepsie, he goes out of his way to obtain the two bishops, and exploits this tiny edge with exemplary skill.
(Beginning with today's column the phonetic “N” will be used instead of “Kt” as the designation for Knight.)
Fischer has made an intensive study of the games of Wilhelm Steinitz, who reigned as world champion from 1866 to 1894. Following Steinitz's recommendation, Fischer plays the seemingly eccentric 9 N-KR3, instead of the usual 9 N-KB3, against the two knights defense, here set up by Arthur Bisguier of New York.
Move Is Double-Edged
This move apparently flouts accepted theory, and even appears — superficially — as suicidal. But the move is really double-edged. There are compensations for White despite his shattered pawn structure.
Steinitz's preference for 9 N-KR3 over 9 N-KB3 may be based on the continuation 9 N-KB3, P-K5 10 N-K5, Q-Q5 11 P-KB4, B-QB4 12 R-Bsq. Though Black is a pawn behind, the position in complex, with the onus of correct play on White.
After 15 … Q-B4, Black's queen-side pawns are weak. White is somewhat underdeveloped, and it is here that midnight oil may uncover a better line for Black. Black loses the drift with 23… N-B4 and 25… R-K7, and his game thereafter is beyond redemption. Better than the text is 25 … KR-Ksq, with a difficult defense.
In the end, White's bishops triumph.
In Fischer vs. Matthew Green of Sussex, N.J. White continually snipes at Black's center, and then his sharp zwischenzug, 13 B-B6ch, puts the black king in sorry straits. For if 13 … B-Q2 14 QxB, N-K7ch 15 K-Rsq. Trying to defend all points, Black loses a pawn, and with that loss creates numerous weaknesses near his king.
31 P-QB4 presages Black's doom. If 31 … QxP 32 Q-R7ch, etc. If later 34 … RxR, 35 Q-R4ch, etc.
Black resigns because he is in zugzwang. If 35 … Q-Ksq 36 P-B6, RxR 37 PxR, Q-QNsq 38 Q-R4ch, K-N2 39 Q-K7ch, K any 40 P-N3, etc.
