A young Brooklyn player by the name of Bobby Fischer, a promising junior facing one of his first real tests against master opposition, was also playing.
He won from G. Lepine, Jr., J.C. Boyer, V. Judzentavicius, W.A. Walz, C. Sharp and Sidney Bernstein. He drew with H. Matthai and Frank Anderson. He suffered losses against 27th placed Robert Sobel (the featured game) and Maurice Fox.
A short time after this event, the 13-year old Fischer played in the 1956 Rosenwald tournament (which later became the official U.S. Championship event) where he tied for 8th (out of 12) with Herbert Seidman with a score of 4.5-6.5. This was the tournament where Fischer played the Game of the Century when he defeated Donald Byrnem who tied for places 5-7 with a 5.5-5.5 score. Samuel Reshevsjy won the tournament two full points ahead of Arthur Bisguier.
Fischer’s opponent in the following game was Robert Sobel who was Pennsylvania State Champion in 1953. He born in Philadelphia in 1934. He retired from a job doing inventory management for the Navy. As far as I could determine Sobol is still living and makes his home in Virginia.
[Event "Canadian Open, Montreal"]
[Site ""]
[Date "1956.08.26"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Robert Sobel"]
[Black "Robert Fischer"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A49"]
[Annotator "ShashChess 32"]
[PlyCount "53"]
[EventDate "1956.??.??"]
{Sicilian Dragon} 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. O-O d6 6. Nc3 c5
7. e4 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Nc6 9. Nde2 Bd7 10. b3 {A never before seen move, but not a
bad idea...white opposes black's Dragon Bishop. Other moves are 10.h3, 10.Nd5
and 10.Bg5} Qc8 11. Bb2 Bh3 12. f3 Bxg2 13. Kxg2 d5 14. exd5 Rd8 15. Qc1 Nb4 {
Black has a slightly more active position, but it's doubtful tht he will be
able to make much out of it.} 16. a3 Nbxd5 17. Nxd5 Nxd5 18. Bxg7 Kxg7 19. c4
Qe6 20. Qb2+ (20. cxd5 {is less favorable.} Qxe2+ 21. Rf2 Qe5 22. Qe1 (22. Rd2
Rxd5 23. Rxd5 Qxd5 {and black is a P uo.}) 22... Rxd5 23. Qxe5+ Rxe5 24. Rd1 {
Here, too, black is a P up, but making progress will be very difficult, if not
impossible.}) 20... Nf6 21. Nf4 {So far the game has been rather colorless and
it seems to be heading for a draw after 21...Qd6 or 21.Qd7, but Fischer's next
move results in him making a chink in his position which Sobol manages to
exploit.} Qf5 22. Nd5 (22. Rae1 {is a stronger continuation. After} Kf8 23. Rf2
(23. Nd5 Nxd5 24. Qh8#) 23... Qg5 24. Re5 Qh6 25. Rfe2 Rd7 26. Qc1 {Black is
under considerable pressure, but he can probably hold on.}) 22... e6 {[%mdl
8192] This loses!} (22... e5 {was absolutely essential.} 23. g4 Qg5 24. h4 Qxh4
{is identical to the position in the game but now 25.Rh1 is met by} 25. Rh1 (
25. Qxe5 {This is the correct move and it results in fully equal chances after
25...Re8}) 25... Qg5 {and because the P is on e5 and not e6 the R sac on h7
loses and so in this position it is black who stands better.} 26. Rxh7+ {
This loses. His best try was 26.Rad1} Kxh7 27. Rh1+ Kg7 {and there is no
followup so black wins.}) 23. g4 {Sobol finishes the game with several hammer
blows.} Qg5 24. h4 {The opening of the h-file will prove fatal to black, but
he has little choice.} Qxh4 (24... Qh6 25. g5 Qh5 26. Qxf6+ Kg8 27. Ne7+ Kf8
28. Rad1 Qxh4 29. Rxd8+ Rxd8 30. Nxg6+ hxg6 31. Qxd8+ {mates in 7.} Kg7 32.
Qf6+ Kh7 33. Rd1 Qxg5+ 34. Qxg5 Kg7 35. Qe5+ f6 36. Rd7+ Kh6 37. Qxf6 e5 38.
Qh4#) 25. Rh1 Qg5 26. Rxh7+ {[%mdl 512]} Kf8 (26... Kxh7 27. Nxf6+ Kg7 28. Ne4+
Rd4 29. Nxg5 {wins}) 27. Qxf6 {Fischer resigned. Impressive and very precise
play by Sobol.} (27. Qxf6 Qxf6 28. Nxf6 Ke7 (28... Rd3 29. Rh8+ Kg7 30. Rxa8
Kxf6) 29. g5 {Black simply does not have enough compensation for the piece.
Some examples...} Rd3 (29... Rd2+ 30. Kg3 Rad8 31. Re1 R8d4 32. Ng8+ Kf8 33.
Rh8 R2d3 34. Nf6+ Ke7 35. Re8+ Kd6 36. Rc8 Rxb3 37. c5+ Ke7 38. Re8#) 30. Ng4
Rxb3 31. Ne5 Kd6 (31... Rc8 32. Rd1 Rxc4 33. Nxg6+ Ke8 34. Rh8#) 32. Nxf7+ Kc5
33. Rh8 Rxh8 34. Nxh8 Kxc4 35. Nxg6 b5 36. Nf8 Re3 37. g6 {wins}) 1-0
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