A Finish Too Gruesome to Contemplate

    In the 1958-59 US Championship Bobby Fischer was not only a Grandmaster, but also an international star and the talk of world chess. He had won the previous championship with an undefeated 8 wins and 5 draws, finishing a full 2 points ahead of Reshevsky. 

    Nobody had repeated as as champion in the previous six tournaments and in this tournament virtually all of top scorers of the previous year were back plus Robert and Donald Byrne and Pal Benko were in the line up. 

    Born in France to Hungarian parents, Benko had become one of the leading European juniors during the mid-50s and was making a name for himself. Benko had been involved in the 1956 Hungarian revolt, but was later permitted to play first board on Hungary's team in the 1957 Student Olympiad in Iceland where he promptly defected. He originally landed in Cleveland Ohio, but not for long. He got into a snit because Cleveland players would not support him financially, so he moved on to greener pastures. 

 

 

   Most invitees were chosen because of their rating or because they held the Grandmaster title, but in the 1958-59 tournament the USCF also invited the U.S. Junior Champion 17-year-old Raymond Weinstein, Bisguier's couson. 

    In the end, Fischer was again successful, taking an undefeated first with +6 -0 =5 while Reshevsky again had to settle for second and his loss to Fischer was a real debacle! Fischer played a new, but untested, line on the white side of the Sicilian that he had used earlier in the year to defeat Bent Larsen at the interzonal at Portoroz. In the same tournament against Oscar Panno, it hadn't been so successful, but Fischer had done his homework; Reshevsky hadn't. 

Weinstein

    As usual, Reshevsky wasn't up on theory and relied on his instinct. Also, the line had been analyzed in depth in a recent Russian magazine which, of course, Fischer was familiar with. Reshevsky wasn't and ended up losing miserably.

    Benko, who everybody thought might be a serious contender, failed badly finishing in 8th place with a +1 -4 =6 score. Weinstein shared last place with Edmar Mednis, scoring +0 -5 =6. Here is an interesting game from the tournament.

 

ChessBase

Raymond Weinstein–Samueal Reshevsky0–1E641958/59 US Champ, New YorkNew York1958Stockfish 17

E64: King's Indian: Fianchetto Variation 1.d4 f6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 g7 4.g2 0-0 5.f3 c5 A Reshevsky favorite. Most common by far is 5...d6 6.d5 d6 7.c3 a6 Again, a Reshevsky favorite. He liked to put the N on c7 then play ... Rb8 and prepare the advance ...b5. 8.0-0 c7 9.f4 The B is in a rather vulnerable place on f4. Thos move was popular at the time, but has since been pretty much abandoned in favor of 9.a4 to prevent black's Q-side expansion. a6 10.a4 b8 11.a5 b5 12.axb6 xb6 13.b3 h5 This move gains time, opens the diagonal for his B and makes room for the advance of his f-Pawn.. 13...d7 14.c2 b8 15.a3 b7 16.d2 b8 17.a4 xa4 18.xa4 c8 equals. Panno, O-Ramirez,A Santa Fe 1957 14.d2 e6 15.dxe6 xe6 16.g5 This move does not accomplish much and so continuing his Q-side play with 16.Ra2 and 17.Baw wpuld have been better. d7 17.a4 b8 17...xa1 18.xb6 e5 19.a5 and white is well off. 18.a3 h6 Reshevsky begins an attack by driving back the N with a gain of time. 19.e4 Perhaps 19.Nf3 would have been better. As played white loses time with the N. f5 20.ec3 e6 21.e4 f4 Reshevsky is going after him. Theoretically with accurate play white should be OK, but as is usually the case, one slip on the part of the defender can be costly. 22.g4 As Reshevsky put it, "Closing his eyes to the lurking danger. " This move loses quickly. 22.d5 fxg3 23.hxg3 xd5 and now capturing with either Pawn keeps things fairly equal. 24.cxd5 This at least does not give the B a good square on f5. d7 25.c3 xc3 26.xc3 The chances are equal. 22.e5 This sharp counterattack is probably his best option. xe5 23.e4 Here black has no really powerful attacking moves. Komodo Human suggests the following line... e7 24.c3 xc3 25.axc3 bd8 26.e1 g7 27.c1 h7 28.gxf4 f5 29.g3 d4 30.d5 f7 31.xc7 xc7 and neither side can claim an advantage. 22...f3 23.xf3 23.h1 h4 leaves white helpless... 24.xf3 24.d5 xg4+ 25.g2 xg2# 24...e5 25.f4 xf4 26.e1 xh2+ 27.f1 h3+ 28.e2 xf3+ 29.d2 f4+ 30.c2 xg4 31.d2 xd2+ 32.xd2 xf2+ 33.e2 f4+ 34.e1 xe2+ 35.xe2 xe2 36.xe2 23...h4 24.g2 f4+ 25.xf4 xf4 26.e2 e5 27.h3 bf8 0-1 White resigned. The sequel is too gruesome to contemplate. 27...bf8 28.f3 xf3 29.xf3 xf3 30.xf3 xh3+ 31.e2 xg4+ 32.d2 xf1 0–1

Download PGN