The Los Angeles Times Los Angeles, California Sunday, August 13, 1961
Fischer Misses Chances In Match
With four successive drawn games for their week's work, U.S. chess champion Bobby Fischer and former champion Samuel Reshevsky remained tied up with two wins each and seven draws.
The 12th match game, the final one of their Los Angeles series, will start at 11 a.m. today at the Herman Steiner Chess Club, 8801 Cashio St., corner Robertson. The players are leaving for New York tonight, with four additional games scheduled at the Hotel Empire.
The most disappointing game for Fischer was the 11th, in which he had a clearly winning advantage after five hours of play at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Playing aggressively in the opening, Fischer built up attacking prospects.
When Reshevsky tried to exchange queens, Fischer found a neat maneuver forcing the win of the exchange after a temporary queen sacrifice. All seemed in order at the 40 move adjournment.
On resuming the game Friday afternoon at the Steiner Club, Fischer weakened. Several inferior moves allowed Reshevsky to trade off all but one pawn, and the resulting endgame could no longer be won.
Fischer also missed a winning opportunity in the eighth game in which he emerged a pawn ahead after a series of exchanges. At his 45th move he should have played R-B7ch, forcing an exchange of rooks, then by B-N5 he could have stalemated Reshevsky's knight.
In the ninth game, after a very evenly contested opening, Reshevsky won a pawn just before adjournment. Opposite colored bishops remained on the board, however, leading to a drawn position. The 10th game was also hard-fought, with no advantage to either player.
U.S. Open Tourney in S.F.
With Fischer and Reshevsky leaving for New York today, California chess players can turn their attention for the next two weeks to the United States Open Championship, starting 7 p.m. Monday at the Sheraton-Palace Hotel in San Francisco.
Last-minute entries will be accepted until 1 p.m. Monday. The entrance fee is $20, plus membership in the U.S. Chess Federation, which is $5 per year. Players having chess clocks are urged to bring them.
At least 20 prizes will be awarded, with the top ones guaranteed at $1,000, $500 and $300. The leading woman player will receive $250 as well as the title of U.S. Women's Open Champion.
