From: shauck@adobe.com (William R. Shauck)
Subject: Re: Youngest GM/IGM?
Summary: Fischer's youngest ever; Polgar's youngest today
Keywords: chess trivia youngest-GM Fischer Polgar Karpov
Organization: Adobe Systems, Inc.
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 03:38:59 GMT


In message <5156@daily-planet.concordia.ca>, gpkatch@alcor.concordia.ca (Gary Katch) states:
gk> [description setting scene of college trivia contest]
gk>Anyway, the question was: "In 1970 he became the youngest person to
gk>attain the title of International Grandmaster."  Multiple choice
gk>answers were Karpov, Fischer, Kasparov, Spassky and one other.

If you're not remembering the question exactly, that might explain it.
Perhaps the question was "In 1970, he became the youngest person
holding the title of International Grandmaster."  Just like Polgar
being (at 16) the world's youngest IGM today.  In a couple of years,
she'll be 18, and some 17-year-old may become the world's youngest IGM
(although not the world's youngest IGM *ever*).

In article <67129@cup.portal.com>, drchip@cup.portal.com (MYRON A LIEBERMAN) states:
mal>Fischer was indeed the youngest player to achieve the IGM (GM) title
mal>but it was most assuredly not in 1970 - try 1958. The only other
mal>possible argument for the youngest player is Judit Polgar (1992), who
mal>earned the title at essentially the same age as Fischer. Since Fischer
mal>received his title 12 years before 1970 and Polgar 12 years after
mal>1970, the average is...... Perhaps that is where 1970 came from.  :-)

No one seems to have remarked upon Mr. Lieberman's math.  The 1980's
did go by quickly, but I still don't think 1992 is 12 years after
1970.

In message <1992Oct2.063215.24213@ucsu.Colorado.EDU>, cuffell@spot.Colorado.EDU (CUFFELL TIMOTHY MICH) states:
ctm>As I understand it, there is some descrepancy about who was the
ctm>youngest GM.  Seems that Judit is the youngest to qualify, but Fischer
ctm>was the youngest to actually be bestowed the title.  Something about
ctm>how FIDE grants titles all a specific time each year, rather than as
ctm>you earn them.  They went out of their way to give Fischer the title
ctm>early, because a 15 year old GM was such a big deal back then.  I
ctm>don't remember where I heard this.  Does anyone have more details?

I think he's remembering a post from Hanon Russell on Wednesday, 5 Feb
1992.  Russell wrote about a phone conversation he had with Dan
Edelman (who is one of 3 USCF Assistant Directors) regarding who was
the youngest GM, Fischer or Polgar (Judit).

Mr. Russell stated:
hwr>[...] shortly after Fischer's performance at Portoroz, 1958, which
hwr>qualified him for the candidates cycle and thus earned him the GM
hwr>title, then FIDE president Folke Rogard awarded Fischer the title *by
hwr>decree* rather than wait the many months until the next FIDE meeting.
hwr>FIDE bylaws allowed (and still allows) the FIDE president to so act.
hwr>
hwr>However, although Judit's recent performance fulfills the final
hwr>requirements for the awarding of the title, the title itself will not
hwr>be awarded until the next FIDE meetings in June.  So, technically, she
hwr>will not be the youngest to have been awarded the title.  She would
hwr>also not be the youngest if the title were awarded right now by
hwr>decree.

In article <1992Sep30.213036.26079@osf.org>, ron@osf.org (Ron Birnbaum) states:
rb>Nope. Judit was the youngest. Younger than Bobby by at least a month.
                        **and**
In article <Sep.30.19.17.39.1992.2550@remus.rutgers.edu>, clong@remus.rutgers.edu (Chris Long) states:
cl>No, Judit Polgar is the youngest ever, followed by Fischer, followed
cl>by Kasparov.

Mr. Birnbaum or Mr. Long: what do you base this on?  I remember a
footnote in Seltzer's paper (_The Role of Bobby Fischer as a Cold War
Symbol_; which was submitted on Fischer's 49th birthday!) saying she
beat Fischer's record by one month at the age of 15 years and 5
months, but the source of this assertion wasn't given.  Fischer was 15
years, 6 months, and 1 day old when he was (automatically) awarded the
GM title.  Polgar was 15 years, and approximately 5-6 months old when
she achieved her last GM norm, and was 15 years, 11 months old when
she was awarded the GM title.  (See below.)

Now, I don't have any version of the FIDE bylaws.  However, from
various sources, this is the version of events I came up with:

Chronology:

9 March 1943, Robert J. Fischer (RJF) was born.

In 1950, FIDE started officially awarding titles like International
Grandmaster and International Master.

23 May 1951, Anatoli Karpov (AK) was born.

In 1957, FIDE regulations stated the title of International Grandmaster
was conferred automatically to
	(a) the World Champion;
	(b) a player whose performance in an Interzonal tournament qualifies
him to compete in a Candidates tournament, even if he doesn't play in
it later due to his own choice;
	(c) similar to (b), but the reason the player doesn't compete is 
the limit on the number of players from one country allowed to
qualify at an Interzonal was exceeded; or
	(d) any player in a Candidates tournament who scores 33-1/3 %.

10 September 1958, RJF tied for 5th at the 4th Interzonal Tournament
held in Portoroz, Yugoslavia.  He was automatically awarded the GM
title under regulation (b) listed above (my guess is it wasn't
conferred "*by decree*").

13 April 1963, Garri Kasparov (GK) was born.

In 1965, the FIDE standards were changed.  The title of International
Grandmaster was:
	1) automatically awarded to the World Champion;
	2) *earned* [emphasis mine--wrs] by a player who:
		a) Scores at least 40 % in the quarter-finals of a Candidates
tournament; or
		b) achieves a certain number of "norms" a certain number of
times [details omitted].  Players who earned the GM title were
awarded it after review upon recommendation of the FIDE Qualification
Committee to the FIDE Congress.

At the Caracas tnmt in 1970, AK (age ~19) earned GM title.

1 Sept 1972, RJF (age 29) became World Champion.

3 April 1975 AK (age 23) became World Champion (by default).

23 July 1976, Judit Polgar (JP) was born.

In 1978, the standards for FIDE titles were revised yet again.  To
qualify for the International Grandmaster title, a player must achieve
a grading level of 2601 in 2 or more tournaments (not necessarily
consecutive) in which at least 24 games in all are played.  Player's
performances are reviewed by the FIDE Qualification Committee, which
then makes recommendations to the FIDE Congress.

15 Feb 1985, first Karpov-Kasparov match ended by Campomanes.

9 November 1985, GK (age 22) became World Champion.

In 1987, [the FIDE] Dubai Congress delegated to the [FIDE] Executive
Council the power to award titles where the applicant has clearly
fulfilled the requirements (confirmed by the Secretary and the
Chairman of [the FIDE] Qualification Commission) so that active
players may benefit from their titles as soon as possible.

In May 1987, the [FIDE] Timosoara Executive Council awarded [various]
titles on [the] recommendation of [the] Chairman & Secretary of [the
FIDE Qualification Commission].

Somewhere around December 1991 to January 1992, JP achieved her final
GM norm.  [Does anyone have the exact date/tournament?]

In June 1992, the FIDE Congress, upon recommendation of the
Qualifying Committe, voted to award the GM title to JP.

So, Fischer was the youngest person ever to hold the GM title.
Polgar was the youngest person ever to meet the requirements for the
GM title, and is currently the world's youngest GM.

Information was obtained from the following sources:

1957 FIDE regulations: _Official Chess Handbook_, Kenneth Harkness,
David Mckay, 1956, 1967.
1965 FIDE standards: _Encyclopedia of Chess_, Anne Sunnocks, St.
Martin's Press, 1970.
1978 FIDE standards: _The Oxford Companion to Chess_, David Hooper &
Kenneth Whyld, Oxford University Press, 1984.
1987 FIDE amendments: Chess Informant #43, B. Kazic, Sahovski
Informator, 1987.
-- 
William R. Shauck                   Internet: shauck@mv.us.adobe.com
Adobe Systems Incorporated       uucp: ...!{decwrl|sun}!adobe!shauck