By: John A. Yowan
Age 15-21 Years Old
On January 10, 1958 Bobby Fischer at age 14 years and 9 months won the 1957/58 U.S. Championship and Zonal with 8 wins, 5 draws and no losses. His USCF rating after the event was 2722. His USCF rating average for 1957 was 2626. He now qualified for the 1958 Interzonal in Portoroz. Since this was a Zonal event, he qualified for the Interzonal and was given the International Master title. Except for Santa Monica 1966, Bobby Fischer would win every U.S. tournament he played in.
In August 1958, he took 5th-6th at the Portoroz Interzonal in Yugoslavia and gained the Grandmaster title after winning 6 games and losing 2 games. At the same time he became the world's youngest Grandmaster and Candidate for the world championship at age 15 years, 6 months.
In January 1959, Bobby Fischer again won the U.S. Championship with 6 wins and 5 draws. His USCF rating was 2665.
In January 1960, Fischer again won the U.S. Championship with 7 wins, 4 draws, and no losses. His rating was 2636.
In April 1960 he tied for 1st-2nd with Boris Spassky at Mar del Plata, Argentina.
In January 1961, Bobby again won the U.S. Championship with 7 wins, 4 draws, and no losses. His rating was 2660.
In March 1962 he won the Interzonal in Stockholm with 13 wins, 9 draws, and no losses. This was the first interzonal that a Soviet player did not take first place. Fischer's rating was 2713.
In October 1962, he played Board 1 for the United States at the Chess Olympiad in Varna, Germany and scored 8 wins, 6 draws, and 3 losses. His USCF rating was 2659 after the event.
In January 1963, Bobby won the U.S. Championship with 6 wins, 4 draws, and 1 loss (to Edmar Mednis). His rating was 2664.
Later in 1963 Fischer announced he was boycotting FIDE tournaments until the Russians stopped fixing chess.
In September he won the New York State Open with a perfect score of 7 wins, no draws, and no losses. His USCF rating was 2685.
On January 1, 1964, Bobby Fischer won the U.S. Championship with a perfect score of 11 wins. He than began a nationwide simultaneous exhibition for the rest of the year. Arpad Elo published the first international rating list in 1964. The top two players were Fischer and Petrosian at 2690. His USCF rating was 2734. He chose not to play in the 1964 Amsterdam Interzonal, missing the world championship cycle. He was still protesting the Soviets and their cheating in events like the Interzonals.