Oakland Tribune Oakland, California Friday, August 18, 1961
Young Chess Champ Forfeits Series
New York, Aug. 18—(AP)—Bobby Fischer, 19-year-old chess champion of the United States, has forfeited the 13th game and his 16-match series against Samuel Reshevsky, 49.
Young Fischer had been scheduled to resume the series with Reshevsky, but he failed to appear yesterday.
The series between the two grand masters for a purse of about $8,000 began in New York July 16, then shifted to Los Angeles after four games. The winner was to receive 65 per cent, the loser 35.
After 11 games, the players were tied with 5½ points each. Fischer then was adjudged to have forfeited the 12th game in Los Angeles when he refused to play. He said the game had been rescheduled without his consent and contended the forfeiture was illegal.
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”
