4th Candidates' Tournament, 1959 Bled-Zagreb-Belgrade September 7th - October 29th

The Candidates' Tournament of 1959 was one of the most dramatic and exciting of all tournaments, launching the flamboyant Grandmaster Mikhail Tal on his road to become the youngest-ever World Champion. Keres played possibly the best chess of his career at this event, restraining his natural attacking flair in the service of a more universal style, able to turn out finely honed strategic campaigns and subtle endgames. His three(!) victories over Tal in this tournament must have made him believe he could take the champion's crown, if he finished first... It was also notable for the arrival on the world's stage of Bobby Fischer, already twice USA champion and World Championship Candidate at 15 years of age. Several of his contests from this tournament appeared in his magisterialc ollection of 'Memorable Games', including an extraordinary game with four queens on the board against future Champion Petrosian, who was for once tempted out of his legendary caution into a rich and strange