THE CALIFORNIA CHESS REPORTER (Vol. XIII No. 4) December 1963

BOBBY FISCHER EXHIBITIONS IN CALIFORNIA

   Twenty-one year-old Bobby Fischer of Brooklyn, six times U.S. champion, will play several simultaneous exhibitions in California during April. Fischer's first nation-wide tour is in the grand style and few previous appearances by grandmasters have been awaited as eagerly as Fischer's.

   Simultaneous exhibitions by world champions as contenders have been common in California. Alekhine, Capablanca, Pillsbury, Lasker, Maroczy, Reshevsky, Fine, Evans, Najdorf, Gligoric and many other great players have given displays and exhibitions in San Francisco and Los Angeles over the years, and many of our own players have become blasé about this kind of entertainment. Fischer's tour, however, has all the elements of drama: Here is a young master of great talent who is evidently on the way toward the world championship. This road is full of pitfalls for any player, and for an American it is more hazardous than any other. Will he make it? Will the exigencies of earning a living in our free enterprise society take Bobby more and more away from the world of chess as it has our other great players? Or will Bobby succeed in his efforts to establish the right and capability of an American chess professional to subsist on chess earnings and stay with the game until his talent and technique mature to the full potential?

   Fischer has set an unprecedented $250 fee for his exhibitions. A relatively few years ago, the best players were lucky to get $50 for a simultaneous display. Recently, a fee of the order of $100 was in order. Our hat is off to Bobby for setting his fee at $250 and for making it stick!

   Most of Fischer's exhibitions will be 50 boards and will be accompanied by a lecture. His first engagement will be Sunday afternoon, April 12, at the Knickerbocker Hotel in Hollywood. This event is sponsored by the Herman Steiner Chess Club. From Hollywood, Fischer goes directly to San Francisco, where he will appear at the Mechanics' Institute chess room on Monday night, April 13. One Wednesday night, April 15, he will be at Santa Barbara, Saturday, April 18, at the Recreation Center. Finally, Fischer will appear on Sunday afternoon, April 19, at the Club Del Mar at Santa Monica.