On October 17, 1956 a 13-year-old Bobby Fischer defeated premier American chess player Donald Byrne in what came to be called "The Game of the Century". Rather than resign upon recognizing his defeat, Byrne, who had won the 1953 U.S. Open Championship in 1953 and was one of the top players in the country, graciously stayed in the game so Fischer's checkmate could materialize.

Then largely unknown, Fischer (pictured here with mentor John W. Collins the same year) had managed to enter the Lessing J. Rosenwald Trophy Tournament, which was restricted to the top 12 best players in the U.S., and though he was not truly qualified at the time he was able to tie for 8th/9th place. His career would skyrocket from the end of 1956 and culminate in a World Championship victory in 1972, followed by a sudden retirement and slow descent into insanity...