New York Times, New York, New York, Sunday, August 17, 1958
Fischer Off Form In Debut Abroad
But U.S. Champion, 15, Holds Own in Yugoslav Chess—Scores Are Listed
Bobby Fischer of Brooklyn, the 15-year-old United States champion, has been holding his own, although not quite playing at the top of his form at the international chess tournament at Portoroz, Yugoslavia.
After a well-played draw with Otto Neikirch of Bulgaria in the first round, he took a point from Geza Fuster of Canada in the second. Here he enjoyed a bit of good fortune, according to the details which have reached here.
Fischer, making his international debut, was a pawn behind and the outlook was unpromising, when, during a scramble against time, he managed to set a trap. Fuster fell into it, lost a clear knight and was forced to resign.
Another draw, against Hector Rossetto of Argentina, followed and then came Fischer's first and only defeat, by Pal Benko of Hungary, in the fourth round. After a bye in the fifth, he encountered David Bronstein of Russia in the sixth. After two sessions, the man who played a tie match with Mikhail Botvinnik for the world championship, was unable to make any headway against the clever young Brooklynite who halved the point.
The scores of two of these games by Fischer are included in the following selection received by airmail. Two specimens by Mikhail Tal, the Soviet champion, are also shown.
