New York Times, New York, New York, Tuesday, April 10, 1962 - Page 33
Fischer Files Suit In Chess Default
Seeks Resumption of Match Awarded to Reshevsky
By John Sibley
Bobby Fischer, former United States chess champion, sought a court order yesterday calling for the resumption of the controversial sixteen-game series he forfeited to Samuel Reshevsky last summer. Mr. Reshevsky also is a former United States champion.
In a suit field in State Supreme Court here, the 19-year-old international grand master demanded that Mr. Reshevsky be barred from public chess games until the series was finished.
The Fischer-Reshevsky encounter, which attracted world-wide attention among chess enthusiasts, began in New York last July 16. After four games here the match moved to Los Angeles. At the close of the eleventh game the players were tied with 5½ points each.
Though no title was at stake, tension mounted; the opponents stopped talking to each other and refused to ride in the same car from their hotel to the playing room.
Then a dispute arose over the scheduling of the twelfth game. At the beginning of the match, this game had been scheduled for 7:30 P.M. on Saturday, Aug. 12. However, Mr. Reshevsky, an Orthodox Jew, could not play until sundown on Saturday, and the game was rescheduled for 9 P.M.
When officials realized this might mean the game would end as late as 2 A.M. they against rescheduled it, for 1:30 P.M. Sunday.
At this point, one of the principal sponsors of the match, Mrs. Gregor Piatigorsky, wife of the 'cellist, asked for yet another change of schedule because her husband was to perform that afternoon. She asked that the game begin at 11 A.M. so she could attend both the concert and the chess game.
Mr. Fischer, a late-riser, refused to play in the morning. When he did not appear for the twelfth game, the officials awarded it to Mr. Reshevsky by default.
The thirteenth game was to be played in New York. Walter J. Fried, president of the sponsoring American Chess Foundation, ordered Mr. Fischer to play this game while awaiting an official ruling on his protest over the forfeiture of the twelfth.
Refuses to Appear
Mr. Fischer refused to appear if the game were to be called the thirteenth rather than the twelfth. His reason was partly that the uncertainty over the twelfth would put him under unfair pressure and partly that in even-numbered games he played white, giving him the advantage of the first move.
Mr. Fried then rules that Mr. Fischer had forfeited the series.
In his suit, Mr. Fischer contended the contract prohibited any change in the scheduling of games without the consent of both players. His complaint, filed by his lawyer, Harold Davis, said:
“His reputation as the most skillful and proficient chess player in the United States will be irreparably damaged and tarnished unless defendant [Reshevsky] fulfills the terms and conditions of the contract.”
See The Los Angeles Times Los Angeles, California Monday, August 14, 1961 - Page 73 (★), “Chess Champ Forfeits by Failing to Appear” when a Spokesperson for the Fischer-Reshevsky organizing committee explains the reason the time was advanced from 1:30 P.M. to 11 A.M., was to accommodate the referee's attendance at the San Francisco U.S. Open Tournament.
Chess Champ Forfeits by Failing to Appear 14 Aug 1961, Mon The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) Newspapers.com
