On the international scene Vasily Smyslov defeated Mikhail Botvinnik to become world champion ending Botvinnik's nine-year reign. The World Junior Championship was held in Toronto. William Lombardy took 1st place with a perfect score.
In 1957, Samuel Reshevsky defeated Donald Byrne in a match by a score of 7-3; the first 6 games were drawn and Reshevsky won the last four.
The match was unusual in that in the first game Byrne's flag fell, but Reshevsky didn’t notice it and offered a draw which was accepted.
Then in the second game Byrne’s flag fell again and again Reshevsky didn’t notice it. Then Reshevsky’s flag fell and this time it was Byrne’s turn not to notice the fallen flag!
Reshevsky’s wife, who was a spectator, did notice Byrne’s flag being down so she then claimed the win on her husband’s behalf!!
Byrne pointed out that only the player on the move could claim a time forfeit and since it was his move, he claimed the game.
In the ensuing dispute, over Byrne’s objections, an appeals committee was organized and they declared that the game was drawn. As a result Byrne walked out, but later returned and ended up losing the match badly.
Bobby Fischer won the U.S. Junior Championship in San Francisco, scoring 8.5 out of 9; he won a typewriter. Then in August he tied for first with Arthur Bisguier at the U.S. Open that was held in Cleveland, Ohio.
Fischer was awarded the title tie-breaks, but that was only determined later. At the time it was assumed that Bisguier had won and he took the trophy and prize money home. After he got home, he received a call informing him he was NOT the winner. He gave the trophy to Fischer, but apparently kept the money. That year Fischer also played two games against Max Euwe at the Manhattan Chess Club in New York, drawing one and losing one.
In 1957, the U.S. Championship was held in New York City starting in December and it included almost all of the country’s top players including former champions Samuel Reshevsky, Arthur Bisguier and Arnold Denker.
Of special interest was the fourteen year old prodigy Bobby Fischer who had already scored several impressive wins, but the question was, how would he do in this tournament? As it turned out, Fischer dominated the field and finished a full point ahead of seven-time champ Reshevsky.
In the following game from that tournament, Fischer, then a sophomore at Erasmus High School (it closed in 1994), slugged it out with Arthur Bisguier, the 1954 champion.
In an unusual (for him) defense, Bisguier adopted the French Defense and then not so unusual for him, played a rare sideline. Fischer obtained a dangerous Q-side attack and a sharp position arose. Both players offered draws, but they were refused. Except for a crude mate threat Bisguier’s K-side attack never really got going and finally Fischer crashed through to win Pawn and then a Rook in what turned out to be one of his best wins in the tournament.
[Event "US Championship 1957/58"]
[Site "New York, NY USA"]
[Date "1957.12.23"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Robert Fischer"]
[Black "Arthur Bisguier"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C16"]
[Annotator "Stockfish 15.1"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventDate "1957.12.17"]
{French Dfense} 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 b6 {This is one of
Nimzovich's Ideas. Black wants to exchange light squared Bs, but in doing so
he loses time and is oftern subjected to a strong K-side attack.} 5. a3 {
At the time this forcing move was unbooked. Customary was 5.Qg4} (5. Qg4 Bf8 {
This is usual, but I have tried the extremely rare 5...Kf8 in postal play with
good results.} 6. Bg5 Qd7 7. f4 {White is only slightly better.}) 5... Bxc3+ 6.
bxc3 Qd7 {This move facilitates ...0-0.0 and prepares to protect his g-Pawn.}
7. Qg4 f5 (7... g6 {is just too passive. Play might continue} 8. a4 Ba6 9. Bxa6
Nxa6 10. Ne2 {and black's pieces are uncoordinated.}) 8. Qg3 (8. exf6 Nxf6 {
and black has fully equalized.}) 8... Ba6 9. Bxa6 Nxa6 10. Ne2 O-O-O 11. a4 Kb7
12. O-O (12. a5 {is also good.} b5 13. Nf4 Qf7 14. O-O Ne7 15. Ba3 {White
stands well. Ochsner,B (2405)-Sadiku,B (2197) Reykjavik 2015}) 12... Qf7 {
This enables him to develop the N on g8.} (12... Nb8 13. a5 b5 14. Nf4 a6 15.
Ba3 Nh6 {White is better. Kholmov,R (2485)-Zilberman,N (2455) Belgorod 1990})
13. c4 {White dissolves his doubled Ps and opens attacking lines.} Ne7 (13...
dxc4 14. Qc3 Ne7 15. Qxc4 Nc6 16. a5 Nab8 17. axb6 axb6 {White is better.
Wiersma,E (2180)-Van der Wiel,J (2570) Netherlands 1995}) 14. Bg5 dxc4 15. Qc3
Nd5 16. Qxc4 Ra8 {Black is threatening 17...f4 trapping the B which explains
white's next move.} 17. Bd2 f4 18. Ra3 g5 {White's attack is going to come
first plus black has a paucity of attacking pieces on the K-side.} 19. a5 c6
20. axb6 axb6 21. Qb3 Nac7 22. c4 {This has a two fold purpose. It dislodges
the N and gains more ground. White's position is overall distinctly superior;
his K isd quite safe her has a sounder pawn_structure, better center and his B
will prove superior to the N.} Rxa3 23. Qxa3 Ra8 24. Qb3 Ne7 25. Nc3 Qf5 26.
Qb4 Nc8 27. Na4 f3 {Realistically this "attack" can't be expected tp
accomplish much, but the truth is black's position is devoid of any real
possibilities.} 28. Nc5+ Kb8 29. Nd7+ Kb7 30. Qb3 Qg4 31. Nc5+ Kb8 32. g3 Qxd4
{Taking this P probably was not such a good idea because now white's B springs
into action, but there was really not much black could do that was
constructive.} (32... Ra2 {A very forlorn hope that white will tke the R and
allow ...Qh3} 33. Bxg5 Rb2 {Still hoping.} 34. Nd7+ Kb7 35. Qc3 Rc2 {Again,
hoping.} 36. Nc5+ Kb8 37. Qd3 Qf5 (37... bxc5 38. Rb1+ Ka8 39. Qb3 {wins}) 38.
Qxf5 exf5 39. Nd7+ Kb7 40. Rc1 Rxc1+ 41. Bxc1 {White has a won ending.}) 33.
Be3 Qa1 34. Rb1 (34. Rxa1 Rxa1+ 35. Bc1 Rxc1+ 36. Qd1 Rxd1#) 34... Ra3 35. Nd7+
Kb7 36. Qd1 {Decisive. White breaks throug and wins heavy plastic.} Qa2 37.
Nxb6 Nxb6 38. Rxb6+ Kc8 39. Qxf3 Qxc4 40. Qf8+ Kd7 41. Qxa3 {Black resigned.}
1-0
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