The 14-year old Fischer had been playing a lot, giving simultaneous exhibitions and generally attracting attention plus he had won the 1957 U.S. Open and he had lost a two game match against former World Champion Max Euwe. Even so, winning the U.S. Championship looked impossible.
His opponent in this game was James T. Sherwin (born 1933) who was having one of his best tournaments ever. Sherwion was awarded the IM title in 1958. An attorney by profession, he was serving as an executive with the GAF Corporation, North America's largest roofing and waterproofing manufacturer, when in 1988 he was indicted for stock manipulation by a sleazy District Attorney, later politician, who hounded Sherwin until finally, on the third try, he managed to get a conviction.
However, on appeal the conviction was overturned and the case was dismissed with prejudice, meaning the lawsuit was permanently closed and Sherwin cannot be tried for the same case again. Sherwin has lived in England since at least the 2010s.
[Event "1957/58 U.S. Champ, New York"]
[Site "+"]
[Date "1957.12.27"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Robert Fischer"]
[Black "James Sherwin"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B87"]
[Annotator "Stockfish 19"]
[PlyCount "71"]
[EventDate "1957.12.17"]
{Sicilian, Sozin Attack} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bc4 e6 7. O-O {This line was a Fischer favorite.} b5 8. Bb3 b4 {Sherwin probably suspected Fischer had some prepared analysis in the event he played the usual 8...Be2. In any case, it would have been safer that the text which is somewhat weakening and therefore quite risky.} 9. Nb1 Bd7 {Taking the P is technocally safe, but with only his N developed and precariously sitting in the center, Sherwin elects not to risk it.} 10. Be3 {Again, offering the P.} Nc6 {Again, Sherwin declines.} 11. f3 {Because it's clear his opponent isn't going to take the P Fischer decides to protect it and move on to another plan...Q-side play.} Be7 12. c3 bxc3 13. Nxc6 {Tempting Sherwin to play 13...cxb2 which would lose.} Bxc6 14. Nxc3 O-O 15. Rc1 Qb8 16. Nd5 exd5 17. Rxc6 dxe4 18. fxe4 Qb5 {This time taking the e-Pawn would lose, but instead of the text move black could have maintained equality with 18...Qb7!} 19. Rb6 Qe5 20. Bd4 Qg5 21. Qf3 Nd7 22. Rb7 Ne5 23. Qe2 Bf6 24. Kh1 a5 {This P is a serious weakness and it soon falls, but in the process Fischer missed a better continuation.} 25. Bd5 Rac8 26. Bc3 a4 {Here Fischer should have played 27.h3, not to prevent black's next move (which is a poor one), but to eliminate any danger of ending up with a first rank weakness which cpuld show up in some variations.} 27. Ra7 Ng4 {This should have lost outright!} 28. Rxa4 {An interesting position! A cursory glance at the position might give the impression that white is winning, but, in fact, black gets fully equal chances. One annotator who was present at the game noted that it took Fischer less than a minute to capture the P and he wasted no time in rejecting 28.Bxf6. Alas, both Fischer ant the annotator were wrong because after either 28.Bxf6 or 28.Rxa4 black can equalize.} (28. Bxf6 Nxf6 29. Rxa4 Rc1 {and black has equalized.}) (28. Bd2 {This mild mannered retreat is actually white's best reply as it allows white to bring the B into a dominating position after} Qg6 29. h3 Ne5 30. Bf4 {and now white is ready to capture the a-Pawn with impunity.}) 28... Bxc3 {Things are about to get tactical.} 29. bxc3 Rxc3 30. Rxf7 {This is not nearly so devsatating as it looks.} Rc1+ {A clever tactical trap, but Fischer is alert.} (30... h5 $3 {While not at all flashy or tricky, this move keeps the chances even.} 31. Rc4 Rxc4 32. Rxf8+ Kxf8 33. Qxc4 {White has every advantahe. An outside passed P and a B vs. N, yet with carful play squeezong out a win will be difficult, if not impossible. (engine evluation 0.00).}) 31. Qf1 (31. Rf1+ $4 {A tactical blunder that loses outright after.} Kh8 32. Ra8 Rxa8 33. Bxa8 Qf4 34. g3 Rxf1+ 35. Kg2 Rf2+) 31... h5 32. Qxc1 Qh4 (32... Qxc1+ 33. Rf1+ Kh8 34. Rxc1 {leaves white a R to the good.}) 33. Rxf8+ Kh7 34. h3 Qg3 35. hxg4 h4 36. Be6 {Black resigned. A real fighting game.} 1-0
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