ANew York Times, New York, New York, Tuesday, January 03, 1961
Fischer Retains U.S. Chess Title
4th Straight Victory Clinched by Draw Against Benko
Bobby Fischer, the 17-year-old international grandmaster, last night won his fourth straight United States chess championship at the Hotel Empire.
The Brooklyn boy, considered the finest American chess player since Paul Morphy, clinched the title by drawing with Pal Benko, the Hungarian grandmaster. The tournament, which began on Dec. 18, will end tomorrow.
Morphy, of New Orleans reigned in the Eighteen Fifties.
Fischer's record in the tournament is six victories and four draws for 8 points. His closest rivals are Arthur Bisguier of New York, Samuel Reshevsky, another international grandmaster, and William Lombardy.
Going into the match, Fischer needed only half a point to clinch the crown. After fifteen moves, he offered Benko a draw and Benko accepted.
Following the Fischer-Benko match, Reshevsky and Bisguier drew after twenty-seven moves. Both were so tactically alert and determined that neither could make progress. Fischer scored many successes last summer when he played first board on the American team in an international competition in Leipzig, East Germany. His finest effort was a draw with Mikhail Tal, the world champion from the Soviet Union.
The Fischer-Benko match was unexciting. Benko played a conservative variation of the Sicilian defense against Fischer's king pawn opening.
Fischer's style is enterprising, romantic. Like Tal, he shows a preference for sacrificing material in order to attain a dynamic set-up. His brilliant talent annoys and conquers his older, more experienced opponents.
Playing dangerously, he nevertheless seldom loses. In this competition he did not lose a game.
