The Courier-Journal Louisville, Kentucky Sunday, January 08, 1967 - Page 55
Watching Fischer in Tourney Is a Memorable Experience
While in New York last month, it was my privilege to look in on the U.S. Chess Championship Tournament at the Henry Hudson Hotel.
The tournament was won, as expected, by the all but invincible Bobby Fischer. Larry Evans was runner-up. Several ended in a tie for third place and, surprisingly, a number of the country's top players finished in a tie for last or near last.
It is a memorable experience to watch International Grandmaster Fischer in action and I suspect that many who plunked down $2 a head to crowd into the playing arena went for just that. The contestants were all on stage and as each move was made it was posted immediately on a large overhead board so that it was easy to follow all games simultaneously.
Fischer is almost never in time trouble, making his moves with clock-like precision and then roaming about to watch the other games while awaiting his opponent's reply. When he returns to his board he is such a study in concentration that one gets the impression he has a built-in computer as he analyzes the most complicated positions with uncanny accuracy and speed.
It wasn't often that the late Dr. Emanuel Lasker, world champion for 27 years, lost a game, least of all a “quickie.” But he does it here after slipping in the opening. Before playing, study the diagram. Lasker, playing Black, has just moved 12 … P-N4. How does White reply?