<New York is a great place for private matches. Somebody says "Anything you can do I can do better" and before you know it somebody else has raised money and there is a match arranged. I am not saying that this was the way that the Benko-Bisguier match came about recently, however a challenge was issued, $1500 raised and off they went ...> - BCM

https://nezhmet.wordpress.com/tag/m...

Which seems wrong...

Some fuller details are given by Mark Weeks here:

http://www.mark-weeks.com/chess/zon...

He says Evans got Fischer's spot.

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My life as a professfional player in the United States demanded that I embrace a steady diet of open Swiss System tournanents. Playing in these events allowed me to make a reasonable livng, but also had negative effects on the overall quality of my play. While a safe and sound style (i.e., many draws with the occasional victory) usually leads to a good result in grandmaster round robbins, it's a sure recipe for disaster in open events. The open tournament calls for as many wins as possible (the weaker competition makes this a must, but it also wreaks havoc with your own strength), and often one can only achieve this by taking chances and playing in a slightly incorrect manner. Thus, though I was now a chess pro, my days as a World Championship candidate were more or less behind me, though I hadn't completely reconciled myself to this fact at that time.

Aside from my immersion into the world of the open tournament, two events stand out in 1964. The first involved the question of qualification into the Amsterdam Interzonal. The final spot in this event was to be filled by either Bisguier or myself, depending on who won a match between us. To be honest, I didn't really want to play in the Interzonal, but an American gentleman put up the money for the match, so I agreed. This match began on April 26, and it was to consist of eight games; if it ended in a draw, two additional games were to be played. If the match went to the full ten-game limit and still ended in a draw, then Mr. Bisguier would go to Amsterdam to play in the place for which he had qualified in the U.S. Championship in 1963. However, the match only lasted for six games, ending with the final score of Benko 4.5, Bisguier 1.5.

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<My only problem with this splendid volume is that there is really very little biography included. The biography is broken up by 130 well-annotated games, resulting in less than 1/4 of the book being pure biography. We also have an entirely superfluous interview section.

The book itself is a wonderful oversized hardcover edition that will hold up to repeated readings and playing through of the chess games. This is a volume that will last generations.

After the biography we have both a 3rd party survey of Benko's openings from both sides, and a selection of his problems, mate in x, helpmate, selfmate and endgame studies.

This all adds up to a complete view of Benko the chess player. I was hoping for a bit more of Benko the person.

Still, it ranks with Tal's autobiography in the annals of chess biography.>

As Hans Ree pointed out in his review of the book:

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CHESS: LEAGUE TEAMS MEET IN SANTA MONICA
Kashdan, Isaac
Los Angeles Times; Mar 3, 1963;
pg. K7

FINAL PLAYOFF GAMES The two final games in the interzonal playoff series, in which California champion William Addison opposed former U.S. champions Larry Evans and Samuel Reshevsky, were both drawn.

As a result Reshevsky was the indisputable winner, scoring two wins and two draws for a final tally of 3-1. Addision and Evans tied 1.5-2.5, each having lost once to Reshevsky and drawn their other games. Reshevsky won the right to represent the United States in the next Interzonal Tournament, along with Bobby Fischer and Arthur Bisguier, the to prize winners in the recent U.S. championship tournament.

The playoff series was sponsored by the Piatigorsky Foundation and took place at the Herman Steiner Chess Club, 8801 Cashio St. Your editor was the tournament director, assisted by Harry Borochow and Jack Moskowitz.

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Chess: Benko and Bisguier Battle For Bisguier's Interzonal Spot By AL HOROWITZ
New York Times; May 7, 1964;
pg. 34

The two New York grand masters, Pal Benko. and Arthur Bisguier, by private agreement, but with the sanction of the United States Chess Federation, are playing an eight-game match with an interesting proviso.

Benko did not qualify for the Interzonal Tournament, which begins May 19 in Amsterdam. Bisguier did. But if Benko wins the match he will take the interzonal spot from Bisguier. If Bisguier Wins or draws, he retains his spot in the Interzonal.

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Chess -- Isaac Kashdan
Los Angeles Times; May 10, 1964;
pg. F10

BENKO vs. BISGUIER

An interesting match is taking place in New York between former U.S. champion Arthur B. Bisguier and former open champion Pal Benko.

At stake is a purse of $1,500 and also a place in the coming Interzonal Tournament, Bisguier is one of three who originally earned the right to participate in the Interzonal, The others are current U.S. champion Bobby Fischer and another former titleholder, Samuel Reshevsky.

With Fischer turning down that opportunity, Larry Evans was next in line, and is ready to go. So is Reshevsky, and so apparently is Bisguier,

That was the situation until friends of Benko moved to get him into the competition. He had gotten up to the Candidates' Tournament in the last cycle of world championship play, and was anxious to try again. The match, which is for the best score in 10 games, has been sanctioned by the U.S. Chess Federation. The winner will receive $1,000 and the loser $500.

At this writing Benko is leading by three games to one. [...]

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Chess: Bisguier Yields His Place In the Interzonal to Benko By AL HOROWITZ
New York Times; May 14, 1964;
pg. 32

THE recent match between the New York grand masters Pal Benko and Arthur Bisguier was won by Benko, 4.5-1.5. Under a pre-match agreement sanctioned by the United States Chess Federation, Benko took over Bisguier's spot in the Interzonal Tournament, which begins Tuesday in Amsterdam. Bisguier had qualified for the Interzonal, Benko not.

The first two games of the match were lively affairs in which Bisguier's driving imagination once played him false and once true. With the score at one game each, the third contest emerged as the turning point.

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