The Morning News Wilmington, Delaware Thursday, August 17, 1961
Young Chess King Rebuked
New York (AP)—The American Chess Foundation yesterday warned youthful champion Bobby Fischer to show up for his next scheduled game with Samuel Reshevsky or lose the championship.
Walter J. Fried, president of the foundation, also warned the 18-year-old Fischer that unless he completes the match for the George P. Edgar Trophy he may be faced with a damage suit for not complying with his contract.
The Brooklyn youth, who has won four straight national championships, failed to show up for a game with Reshevsky in Los Angeles Sunday.
The game had been rescheduled from Saturday night to Sunday morning at the request of Reshevsky, an orthodox Jew, but Fischer said 11 a.m.. was too early for him. The match was forfeited to Reshevsky.
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”
