US Champs and a Tribute to Bobby Fischer
During the last USA Championship I was meditating in relation to the magnificence and recognition of this tournament. I do not know if there is a specific database with all the games just from US Championship competition, because it could be an interesting idea to select the best games played for the best US players in the history of these tournaments. There is fantastic stuff! Here at chess.com we could organize a discussion with our reader friends, and the theme would be: the best novelty (or best play in the opening), the best combination (or tactical play), the best endgame, and of course the best game ever from these tournaments.
It is impossible to talk about the US Championship without mentioning their major winner, Robert James Fischer. Bobby's record in US Championships was beyond compare-- or reason. Fischer played in eight United States Championships winning every one! Throughout the years 1957 until 1960 he did not lose one single game. His total score was 74/90 (82.2%) with only three defeats: Edmar Mednis, Sammy Reschevsky, and Robert Byrne.
His scores were:
1957-58: 10.5/13
1958-59: 8.5/11
1959-1960: 9/11
1960-1961: 9/11
1962-1963: 8/11
1963-64: 11/11
1965-66: 8.5/11
1966-67: 9.5/11
His 11-0 win in the 1963-64 championship is the only perfect score in the history of the tournament, and one of only a handful of perfect scores in high-level chess tournaments ever, one that has been called "the most remarkable achievement of this kind."
I want to propose my selection for best game and my selection for best endgame, both from Bobby Fischer!... and both from the same tournament! I am talking about the 63-64 Championship, in which Bobby made his perfect 11-0 score.
Now I'll give those who like the opportunity to play out the rest of this amazing game as a guess-the-move exercise. (if you prefer to just see the game, click solution, and then move list to expand and see my notes).
Terrific! And now a supreme endgame:
What do you think? Is there a US Championship game or endgame which you would hold up to this level?
