Magnificent original FIDE (World Chess Federation) program for the Interzonal Chess Tournament held in Portorož, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia between August 4 and September 14, 1958, 20 pages, 5.75 x 8.75, signed inside below his image in red ballpoint by Bobby Fischer, who crosses out the name of Lothar Schmid below and adds "Poul Benko [sic]." The program is signed inside in pencil and ink by 20 other competitors from the tournament, including: Yuri Averbakh, Pal Benko, David Bronstein, Rodolfo Cardoso, Boris de Greiff, Miroslav Filip, Géza Füster, Svetozar Gligoric, Bent Larsen, Aleksandar Matanovic, Oleg Neikirch, Friðrik Ólafsson, Ludek Pachman, Oscar Panno, Tigran Petrosian, Héctor Rossetto, Raúl Sanguineti, James Sherwin, László Szabó, and Mikhail Tal. The program is also signed by chess arbiters Harry Golombek and Vladimir Vukovic. In fine condition, with general handling wear, and light stains to the bottom edges of some of the pages.
After becoming the youngest winner of the U.S. Championship, a victory that earned him the title of International Master, Fischer qualified to participate in the 1958 Portorož Interzonal, the next step toward challenging the World Champion. Although many believed the 15-year-old was too young and too inexperienced to successfully compete on the international stage, Fischer finished strong in Portorož and managed a tie for 5th-6th, qualifying him for the Candidates Tournament and officially making him the youngest ever Grandmaster. A remarkable program of considerable historical significance as it relates to the legend and ascendance of a young Bobby Fischer.
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