Fischer the Best? No, Maybe Reshevslky...

    After winning the 1957/58 US Championship on his very first try Bobby Fischer (1943-2008) was asked if that made him the best player in the country. He replied, "No, one tournament doesn't mean much.” Who was the best player in the country? " he said. "Maybe Reshevsky .... " was his reply. 

    The victory made him the youngest US Champion ever at the age of 14 and it was assumed that hewould at some point reach GM level, but would he become better than Reshevsky, Evans, Robert and Donald Byrne or Bisguier? Or how would he stack up against his contemporaries: William Lombardy and Raymond Weinstein? Few people thought he would be that good. 

    Previously, in 1956, had seen his introduction to top level competition in the 3rd Lessing Rosenwald Invitational in New York. In that event Fischer lost four games; three of them badly. The following summer Fischer drew Bisguier, who had mauled him in the Rosenwald, and thereby nosed out Bisguier the defending U.S. Open and U.S. Invitational champion, for the U.S. Open title. Interestingly, Fischer won the next 13 games in a row against Bisguier. 

    1957 was the 100th anniversary of the First American Congress, and like Paul Morphy, Fischer was to become the dominating champion. Every year there had been doubts as to whether there would be a championship that year. Financial crises and poor organization were the causes. The USCF only had 2,000 members, so money was scarce. 

 Fortunately a small group of wealthy men, collectively known as the American Chess Foundation kept the three year championship cycle going. They promised they would choose the best players for small, topflight events and finance them. As a result three strong Rosenwald invitational tournaments and three Matches were held. 

    Reshevsky won two of the tournaments, finishing third in the other behind Evans and Bisguier, and defeating Lombardy, Bisguier and Donald Byrne in the matches. It was obvious from these events that Reshevsky was far superior to everyone else: He never lost more than one game in each event. 

    Somewhat reluctantly the USCF agreed to let the fourth Rosenwald be designated as the 10th U.S. championship. This was especially fortunate because the tournament also served as a FIDE zonal where the first two finishers would qualify. 

    Fischer had played a lot during 1956 and 1957 giving simultaneous exhibitions, and winning the 1957 U.S. Open and losing a two-game match to former world champion Max Euwe, but nobody expected him to do well in the Rosenwald. Bisguier declared Reshevsky was favorite and almost everyone agreed with him. Evans was also considered a contender as were Lombardy and Robert Byrne. Unfortunately Byrne declined his invitation.

 

 

    Fischer started out this championship with a crushing defeat of Arthur Feuerstein, a 22-year-old computer programmer in the first round. Then he narrowly escape defeat against Herbert Seidman, then battled Reshevsky to a draw. Two points out of three was not a bad start, but then things changed. 

    He defeated Sidney Bernstein and Arthur Bisguier and was a half point behind Reshevsky with a score of 4-1. There followed a game that could have gone either way against Hans Berliner but ended in a draw. But then came a whirlwind of victories: James T. Sherwin, George Kramer Edmar Mednis William Lombardy Attilio DiCamillo all went down in defeat. 

    During Fischer's streak Reshevsky had been defeated by Sherwin and so was trailing Fischer by a half point. To win the tournament Reshevsky needed a last-round win over William Lombardy, who was battling for third behind Sherwin.     

    Abe Turner. Turner was an old blitz partner of Fischer and nobody expected Fischer to put much effort into the game. In the last round Fischer did what everyone expected he would and something would never do again in his career: he drew with Turner in 18 moves! After the game he went to the analysis room and played 5-minute games. 

    What his draw with Turner meant was that a Reshevsky win would mean a tie for first place while any other result would give Fischer a clear first. Fortunately for Fischer Lombardy played such a great game against Reshevsky that he won the brilliancy prize and so Fischer was the champion. 

    Below is Fischer’s historic first round wu\in against the strong National Master Arthur Feurstein (1935-2022, 86 years old) who was originally from the Bronx, New York, played in several U.S. Championships as well as several Manhattan Chess Club championships. 

    In 1955, he won the US Speed Championship. In 1960, the first United States Armed Forces Chess Championship was held in Washington, D.C. There were 12 participants. Air Force Captain John Hudson and Army SP4 Feuerstein tied for first place. Feuerstein was four times New York state champion. Hudson was a bombardier-navigator on B-52 bombers and a former US Amateur champion. 

    At age 21, Feuerstein won the U.S. Junior Blitz Championship, leaving newcomer Bobby Fischer in a close second place. The game between them ended in a draw. Feuerstein had a record of (+1−1=3) against Fischer. 

    In 1973, Feuerstein was involved in a car accident that left him in a coma for six weeks. When he recovered, he was unable to speak English very well, but he did remember how to play chess. Feuerstein continued to play chess after the accident, and in fact was rated as one of the top 10 players in his age group in the world when he was 65 years old. 

    I played him twice in correspondence games is Chess Review events in 1972-72. In the first game I established a much superior position then miscalculated a tactical sequence and lost. In the second game things followed a more natural course. I was outplayed from the start and lost fairly quickly. He was a prompt, courteous opponent and he took time to answer some of my questions and supply me with some analysis. 

 

[Event "US Championship 1957/58, New York"] [Site ""] [Date "1957.12.17"] [Round "?"] [White "Robert Fischer"] [Black "Arthur Feuerstein"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17.1"] [PlyCount "87"] [EventDate "1957.12.17"] {King's Indian Attack} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. g3 {Early in his career Fischer scored a number spectacular wins with the King’s Indian Attack. Feuersteub hinself also liked the KIA.} Nf6 4. d3 d5 5. Nbd2 Be7 6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O Nc6 8. Re1 Qc7 9. Qe2 Rd8 {This is probably not a good ifea because after e5 the R has few orisoects on d8. Therefore, a counterattacking move like 9...b5 seems better.} 10. e5 Ne8 (10... Nd7 {keeps the balance.} 11. h4 b6 12. c3 Ba6 13. h5 h6 14. Nf1 d4 {Jesse,I (2386)-Krums,I (1985) Riga 2022 with equal chances.}) 11. c3 b5 (11... f6 {Again, it was suggested that 11...f6 was better, but, again, all that dies is weaken the K-side. Feuerstein's move is the correct one.} 12. exf6 gxf6 13. Nf1) 12. Nf1 b4 13. Bf4 Qa5 {A small slip. Black needs an open file for his R in orfer to get counterplay and so the consistent 13... bxc3 followed by 14...Rb8 was a bit better. As it ism black's pieces end up being rather ineffectively placed.} 14. c4 {An excellent move closing the Q-side and one that helps whiite purssue his K-side plams.} Nc7 15. h4 { This Pawn has will perform the function of rippinh open the podition of black's K.} Qb6 {With this move black prepares to make a serious error!} 16. h5 b3 (16... h6 {stopping the advance of the h-Pawn would have left him with minimal damage after} 17. g4 Bb7 {White is only slightly better.}) 17. a3 dxc4 18. dxc4 Ba6 {It wasn't too late for 18...h6} 19. N1h2 {Now white should have been the one to play 19.h6; instead, he gives black another chance to play it!} (19. h6 g6 20. Bg5 Bxg5 21. Nxg5 Nd4 22. Qg4 Bb7 23. Qf4 {Fritz 19 declares white's advantage is decisive. Even so, black's resignation is a long way off!} ) 19... Rac8 20. h6 g6 21. Bg5 {The exchange of black's B greatly increases the weakness of the dark squares arounf black's K and white's attack soon becomes irresistible} Nd4 22. Qe3 Bxg5 {Black l oses quickly if he goes after the xxchange.} (22... Nc2 23. Qf4 Bxg5 24. Nxg5 Rf8 25. Ng4 Nxa1 26. Rxa1 Bxc4 27. Nf6+ Kh8 28. Nd7 {There is no defense to the threat of 29.Qf6+}) 23. Qxg5 Ne8 24. Ng4 Nf5 25. Rac1 Qc7 26. Nd2 Rd4 27. Nxb3 Rxc4 28. Rcd1 Ra4 29. Re4 Bb5 30. Rc1 Qb6 31. Nd2 Rxe4 32. Nxe4 Bd3 33. Ngf6+ {[%mdl 32] White is clearly winning.} Kh8 34. g4 {+This is the final blow. It wins a piece because the N can't move.} Bxe4 (34... Nd4 35. Rxc5 Rxc5 36. Nxe8 {Black can delay, but not prevent, mate.}) 35. Bxe4 Nd4 36. Nxe8 Qd8 {This offers a glimmer of hope . The threat is 37...Ne2+ which would allow black to recover his piece.} 37. Qxd8 Rxd8 38. Nd6 {With this move white retains the extra piece.} Ne2+ 39. Kf1 Nxc1 40. Nxf7+ Kg8 41. Nxd8 Nb3 42. Ke2 Nd4+ 43. Kd3 Kf8 44. Nc6 {Black resigned. A good example of how to conduct an attack with the King's Indian Attack..} 1-0