South Florida Sun Sentinel Fort Lauderdale, Florida Sunday, April 06, 2008 - Page 94
Chess by Larry Evans
In 1964, a few months before turning 15, Bobby Fischer won the U.S. Championship with a perfect 11-0, a fear unrivaled in history. I was his runner-up at 7½-3½, which usually might qualify for first prize.
A noted critic quipped that Fischer won the exhibition but Evans won the tournament. The field included America's top stars: Benko 7; Reshevsky, Saidy 6.5; R. Byrne 5.5; Weinstein 5; Bisguier 4.5; Mednis 3.5; Addison 3.5; Steinmeyer 3; D. Byrne 2.5.
Fischer was awarded the brilliancy prize against Robert Byrne. K.F. Kirby, editor of South African Chess Quarterly, summed up the astonishment and admiration of the chess world when he wrote: “This game was quite fabulous, and I cannot call to mind anything to parallel it. After Byrne's 11th move, I should adjudicate his position as slightly superior, and at worst completely safe.
To turn this into a mating position in 11 more moves is more witchcraft than chess!”
And Byrne himself stated: “The culminating combination is of such depth that, even at the very moment at which I resigned, both grandmasters who commented on the play for spectators in a separate room believed that I had a won game!”
While I collaborated with Fischer on his 60 Memorable Games (#48) he called White's resignation “A bitter disappointment. I'd been hoping for 22 Qf2 Qh3 23 Kg1 Re1! 24 Rxe1 Bxd4 with mate to follow. Also 22 Ndb5 Qh3 23 Kg1 Bh5 and the curtain comes down.”
Ted Dunn, a spectator, recently recalled the incident: “Nicholas Rossolimo was in the balcony where the event was taking place. His assignment was to dispense analysis on request to patzers like me about any of the games below. Suddenly Larry Evans came up, so excited that he left his own game in progress. ‘Byrne's beating Fischer!’ he exclaimed. Rossolimo quickly set up the pieces and they began analyzing how Byrne could win. In the midst of their inspired analysis, someone ran upstairs. ‘Byrne just resigned!’ he declared.”