Sunday Gazette-Mail Charleston, West Virginia Sunday, August 20, 1961
The United States Open got under way in San Francisco last Monday with more than 200 entrants, including last year's winner, Donald Byrne. Lisa Lane, U.S. women's champion, is also competing.
After eleven more or less quiet rounds (apart from the actual play), the Reshevsky-Fischer 16-game match erupted into a real hassle in game 12. The game time was moved up from Saturday to Sunday morning. However, Fischer did not turn up at all on Sunday and the game was forfeited to his opponent. Fischer claimed that there were to be no forfeits in the match and declared he would not continue if the forfeit stands. So far as this writer can see, young Bobby Fischer does not cut a very creditable figure in all this. Through the first eleven games, the match was tied at 5½ to 5½.
Regardless of who is right or wrong in the dispute, the American chess public—especially that portion which is footing the bill—has the right to expect that this match will be played to completion.
CORRECTION: The schedule was changed twice.
- Changed from Saturday night to Sunday at 1:30 P.M. to which Bobby Fischer consented.
- Changed from 1:30 P.M. Sunday to 11 A.M. Sunday, by Referee Irving Rivise, to accommodate his own trip to San Francisco for the U.S. Open which opened the following day, Monday.
Young Fischer protested that the schedule should be returned to the originally scheduled time of 1:30 P.M. This clarification is documented in the August 14, 1961 Los Angeles Times “Chess Champ Forfeits By Failing to Appear”
