1940 in chess
Encyclopedia
Chess events in brief
- 17 January 1940 - Dawid PrzepiórkaDawid PrzepiórkaDawid Przepiórka was a prominent Polish chess player of the early twentieth century.Dawid Przepiórka was born 22 December 1880 in Warsaw, Poland , to a family of wealthy landowners and entrepreneurs of Jewish extraction...
, Stanisław Kohn, Moishe LowtzkyMoishe Lowtzky-Biography:He was born into a Jewish family in Ukraine. In 1903, Lowtzky tied for 6-7th with Eugene Znosko-Borovsky in Kiev . The event was won by Mikhail Chigorin. In 1903, he took 4th in Dresden . In 1904, he tied for 2nd-3rd in Coburg . In 1910, he tied for 1st with Thoenes in Hamburg...
, Achilles FrydmanAchilles Frydman-Biography:He lived in Łódź where he took 4th place and tied for 5-6th in the city championships. In 1935, he took 5th in Warsaw at the 3rd Polish Chess Championship, an event won by Savielly Tartakower. The same year, he took 7th in Łódź...
, Abkin, Młynek, Zahorski and many others were arrested at the Kwieciński Chess Café in Warsaw, and imprisoned at Daniłowiczowska Str. (they had played a prison tournament won by Lowtzky there). Later (February – March 1940) most of them (all Jewish) were killed in a mass execution by the Nazis in PalmiryPalmiryPalmiry During World War II, between 1939 and 1943, the village and the surrounding forest was one of the sites of German mass executions of Jews, Polish intelligentsia, politicians and athletes, killed during the AB Action. Most of the victims were first arrested and tortured in the Pawiak prison...
, General GovernmentGeneral GovernmentThe General Government was an area of Second Republic of Poland under Nazi German rule during World War II; designated as a separate region of the Third Reich between 1939–1945...
. - 23 September 1940 - The National Chess Centre in London was destroyed by fire during The BlitzThe BlitzThe Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
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Tournaments
- Hastings International Chess CongressHastings International Chess CongressThe Hastings International Chess Congress is an annual chess congress which takes place in Hastings, England, around the turn of the year. The main event is the Hastings Premier tournament, which was traditionally a 10 to 16 player round-robin tournament. In 2004/05 the tournament was played in the...
won by Frank ParrFrank ParrFrank Parr was an English chess player, born in Wandsworth.He was British Boys champion in 1935.- Biography :Parr won the Hastings Premier in 1939/1940 with a score of 6/7, allowing only two draws....
, 1939/40. - HavanaHavanaHavana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
won by Isaac KashdanIsaac KashdanIsaac Kashdan was an American chess grandmaster and chess writer. Kashdan was one of the world's best players in the late 1920s and early 1930s. He was twice U.S. Open champion...
ahead of Georges Koltanowski, January 1940. - BeverwijkBeverwijkBeverwijk is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. The town is located about northwest of Amsterdam in the Randstad metropolitan area, north of the North Sea Canal very close to the North Sea coast...
(the 3rd Hoogovenschaaktoernoi) won by Max EuweMax EuweMachgielis Euwe was a Dutch chess Grandmaster, mathematician, and author. He was the fifth player to become World Chess Champion . Euwe also served as President of FIDE, the World Chess Federation, from 1970 to 1978.- Early years :Euwe was born in Watergraafsmeer, near Amsterdam...
, January 1940. - WarsawWarsawWarsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
(a prison tournament), won by Moishe LowtzkyMoishe Lowtzky-Biography:He was born into a Jewish family in Ukraine. In 1903, Lowtzky tied for 6-7th with Eugene Znosko-Borovsky in Kiev . The event was won by Mikhail Chigorin. In 1903, he took 4th in Dresden . In 1904, he tied for 2nd-3rd in Coburg . In 1910, he tied for 1st with Thoenes in Hamburg...
ahead of Stanisław Kohn, January/February 1940. - BudapestBudapestBudapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
(Maroczy Jubilaeum) won by Euwe followed by Milan VidmarMilan VidmarMilan Vidmar was a Slovene electrical engineer, chess player, chess theorist, philosopher, and writer. He was a specialist in power transformers and transmission of electric current.- Biography :...
, Gedeon BarczaGedeon BarczaGedeon Barcza was a Hungarian chess master.In 1940, Barcza took third place, behind Max Euwe and Milan Vidmar, at Maróczy Jubiläum in Budapest. In September 1942, he took sixth place at the first European Championship in Munich; the event was won by Alexander Alekhine...
, etc. - AmsterdamAmsterdamAmsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
(VAS), won by Hans KmochHans KmochJohann "Hans" Joseph Kmoch was an Austrian-Dutch-American chess International Master , International Arbiter , and a chess journalist and author, for which he is best known....
followed by Adriaan de GrootAdriaan de GrootAdrianus Dingeman de Groot was a Dutch chess master and psychologist, who conducted some of the most famous chess experiments of all time in the 1940s-60...
, Salo LandauSalo LandauSalo Landau was a Dutch chess player, who died in a Nazi concentration camp.-Early life:...
and Lodewijk PrinsLodewijk PrinsLodewijk Prins was a Dutch chess player and referee of chess competitions.Prins was awarded the International Master title in 1950, and was made an International Arbiter in 1960. In 1982 FIDE made him an honorary Grandmaster.Prins represented the Netherlands twelve times in all Chess Olympiads...
, etc. - AmsterdamAmsterdamAmsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
(VVGA), won by Euwe ahead of Prins. - BaarnBaarnBaarn is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht.-The municipality Baarn :The municipality of Baarn consists of the following towns: Baarn, Eembrugge, Lage Vuursche.- The town Baarn :...
(Quadrangular), won by Landau ahead of Euwe and Kmoch, and Haije KramerHaije KramerHaije Kramer was a Dutch chess master and theoretician.He began his chess career during World War II. He took 4th at Baarn 1940 , took 3rd at The Hague 1940 , took 4th at Leeuwarden 1940 Haije Kramer (24 November 1917, Leeuwarden – 11 July 2004) was a Dutch chess master and theoretician.He began...
. - DelftDelftDelft is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland , the Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam and The Hague....
(Quadrangular), won by Kmoch followed by Euwe, Johannes van den BoschJohannes van den Bosch (chess player)Johannes Hendrik Otto van den Bosch was a Dutch chess master. He thrice represented The Netherlands in Chess Olympiads, including the 2nd Chess Olympiad at The Hague in 1928, the 3rd Chess Olympiad at Hamburg in 1930, and the 4th Chess Olympiad at Prague in 1931.His best achievements were two...
, and Landau. - Leeuwarden won jointly by Nicolaas CortleverNicolaas CortleverNicolaas Cortlever was a Dutch chess master.He tied for 7-8th at Rotterdam 1936 ; took 2nd at Amsterdam 1938 ; won at the 2nd Hoogovens Beverwijk 1939 ; tied for 4-6th at Amsterdam I and 3rd-4th at Amsterdam II in 1939.During World War II, he tied for 2nd-3rd at...
, Prins and Landau. - RotterdamRotterdamRotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
won by Euwe ahead of Vlagsma. - The HagueThe HagueThe Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
won by George Salto FonteinGeorge Salto FonteinGeorge Salto Fontein was a Dutch chess master.At the beginning of his career, he took 3rd at Leiden 1909 . Then, he tied for 2nd-4th in interrupted Mannheim 1914 chess tournament...
ahead of Arthur WijnansArthur WijnansArthur J. Wijnans was a Dutch chess player and study composer.He took 3rd in Dutch Chess Championship in 1939, took 4th at Beverwijk 1940 , won at Beverwijk 1941 , and shared 2nd, after Arnold van den Hoek, at Beverwijk 1943...
. - GhentGhentGhent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
(the Belgian Chess ChampionshipBelgian Chess ChampionshipThe Belgian Chess Championship is a championship organised yearly by the Fédération Royale Belge des Echecs . The winner of the championship is awarded the title: Chess Champion of Belgium....
), won by Paul DevosPaul DevosPaul Devos was a Belgian chess master.Devos was seven times Belgian Champion . He took 2nd, behind Boruch Israel Dyner, at Brussels 1933 but won the title as a player of the Belgian nationality. In 1936 he won international BEL-ch, and took 3rd in national BEL-ch, both in Brussels...
. - Santiago de CubaSantiago de CubaSantiago de Cuba is the second largest city of Cuba and capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in the south-eastern area of the island, some south-east of the Cuban capital of Havana....
won by Koltanowski ahead of Diez. - Santiago de Chile (the Chilean Chess Championship), won by Mariano CastilloMariano CastilloMariano Castillo Larenas was a Chilean chess master.He won nine times Chilean Chess Championship ....
. - MontevideoMontevideoMontevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
(the Uruguayan Chess ChampionshipUruguayan Chess ChampionshipThe Uruguayan Chess Championship is the national chess championship of Uruguay.-References:*...
), won by Arturo LiebsteinArturo LiebsteinArturo Liebstein was an Uruguayan chess master.He won thrice in the Uruguayan Chess Championship in 1940, 1942, and 1943.He tied for 9-11th at Montevideo 1941 , took 13th in the Mar del Plata chess tournament in 1943 , took 15th at Mar del Plata 1944 , and tied for 14-16th at Mar del Plata/Buenos...
. - Rio de JaneiroRio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
(Torneio Nacional de Selecao), won by Walter CruzWalter CruzWalter Oswaldo Cruz was a Brazilian chess master.He was six-time Brazilian Champion and thrice Sub-Champion...
, February/March 1940. - Buenos AiresBuenos AiresBuenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
(the 19th Argentine Chess ChampionshipArgentine Chess ChampionshipThe first Argentine Chess Championship was held in 1921. The Champion's title was granted after victorious or drawn match between previous champion and challenger, a winner of Torneo Mayor...
, Torneo Mayor) won by Aristide GromerAristide GromerAristide Gromer was a French chess master.Gromer was thrice French Champion .He tied for 5-6th at Paris 1923 , took 3rd at Biarritz 1926 , took 2nd, behind Chéron, at Saint-Cloude 1929, shared 2nd with Savielly Tartakower, behind Eugene Znosko-Borovsky, at Paris 1930, took 2nd, behind Aimé Gibaud,...
followed by Franciszek SulikFranciszek SulikFranciszek Sulik was a Polish-Australian chess master.Before World War II, he lived in Lvov . In 1934, he tied for 2nd-3rd with Henryk Friedman, behind Stepan Popel, in the Lvov championship. In 1935, he tied for 8-9th in Warsaw...
, Carlos GuimardCarlos GuimardCarlos Enrique Guimard was an Argentine chess Grandmaster. He was born in Santiago del Estero.-Biography:Guimard was thrice Argentine Champion. In 1936, he won the ARG-ch 15 Mayor, and in 1937 a match for the title against Roberto Grau . In 1937/38, he won a match against Luis Piazzini...
, etc. - Lvov (West Ukrainian championship), won by Abram KhavinAbram KhavinAbram Leonidovich Khavin was a Ukrainian chess master.In 1937, he took 6th in Kiev .In 1938, he tied for 4-6th in Kiev ....
, March 1940. - RosarioRosarioRosario is the largest city in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the western shore of the Paraná River and has 1,159,004 residents as of the ....
won by Gideon StåhlbergGideon StåhlbergAnders Gideon Tom Ståhlberg was a Swedish chess grandmaster.He won the Swedish Chess Championship of 1927, became Nordic champion in 1929, and held it until 1939....
. - StockholmStockholmStockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
(unofficial Swedish Chess ChampionshipSwedish Chess ChampionshipThe first Swedish Champion was Gustaf Nyholm who won two matches against winners of national tournaments: Berndtsson in Göteborg and Löwenborg in Stockholm in 1917. Until 1931 Swedish Chess Championships decided by match play. In the 1930s, Gideon Ståhlberg held the title in spite of results of the...
), won by Nils BergkvistNils BergkvistNils Valentin Bergkvist or Nils Bergqvist was a Swedish chess master.He shared first in the national tournament at Lund 1933, took 5th at Stockholm 1937 , played a match with Salo Landau at Stockholm 1937, twice tied for 3rd-4th, with Ernst Larsson at Kalmar 1938 , and with Allan Bergkvist at...
. - RandersRandersRanders is a city in Randers municipality on the Jutland peninsula in central Denmark. It is Denmark's sixth-largest city, with a population of 60,656 . Randers city is the main town of the municipality and the site of its municipal council.-Overview:Randers municipality has 94,750 inhabitants...
(the Danish Chess ChampionshipDanish Chess ChampionshipThe Danish Chess Championship was organised by the Danish Chess Union and first held in 1910. A masterclass was first introduced in 1915. But it is only from 1922 that the title of Danish chess champion was introduced, this was the first year also players from Copenhagen joined.-History:In 1949...
), won by Jens EnevoldsenJens EnevoldsenJens Evald Enevoldsen-Elsing was a Danish chess master born in Copenhagen who won the Danish Chess Championship five times...
. - GüstrowGüstrowGüstrow is a town in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany the capital of the district of Güstrow. It has a population of 30,500 and is the seventh largest town in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Since 2006 Güstrow has the official suffix Barlachstadt.-Geography:The town of Güstrow is located...
won by Carl AhuesCarl AhuesCarl Oscar Ahues was a German chess International Master.He was Berlin champion in 1910. He was German Champion in 1929 winning the 26th DSB Congress in Duisburg. In 1930, he took 6th in San Remo , tied for 4-5th in Scarborough , and tied for 3-5th in Liege...
and Lachmann, start 20 March 1940. - LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(Easter) won by Harry GolombekHarry GolombekHarry Golombek OBE , was a British chess International Master and honorary grandmaster, chess arbiter, and chess author. He was three times British chess champion, in 1947, 1949, and 1955 and finished second in 1948. He became a grandmaster in 1985.He was the chess correspondent of The Times...
and Paul ListPaul ListPaul M. List was a Ukrainian–German–British chess player.He was born in Odessa, Ukraine . He had a separate chess career in each of the 3 countries he lived in – Russia, Germany and the United Kingdom....
ahead of Vera Menchik-StevensonVera MenchikVera Menchik was a British-Czech chess player who gained renown as the world's first women's chess champion. She also competed in chess tournaments with some of the world's leading male chess masters, defeating many of them, including future World Champion Max Euwe.The daughter of a Czech father...
, March 1940. - New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
(the 3rd U.S. Chess ChampionshipU.S. Chess ChampionshipThe U.S. Chess Championship is an invitational tournament held to determine the national chess champion of the United States. Since 1936, it has been held under the auspices of the U.S. Chess Federation. Until 1999, the event consisted of a round-robin tournament of varying size...
), won by Samuel ReshevskySamuel ReshevskySamuel "Sammy" Herman Reshevsky was a famous chess prodigy and later a leading American chess Grandmaster...
, 27 April – 19 May 1940. - Bad ElsterBad ElsterBad Elster is a spa town in the Vogtlandkreis district, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It lies on the border of Bavaria and the Czech Republic in the Elster gebirge hills. It is situated on the river Weiße Elster, and is protected from extremes of temperature by the surrounding wooded...
won by Karl GilgKarl GilgKarl Gilg was a German chess International Master from Czechoslovakia.Gilg played for Czechoslovakia in several Chess Olympiads....
and Ludwig Roedl, start 14 May 1940. - BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
won by Efim BogoljubowEfim BogoljubowEfim Dmitriyevich Bogolyubov was a Russo-German chess grandmaster who won numerous events and played two matches with Alexander Alekhine for the world championship.-Early career:...
ahead of Kurt RichterKurt RichterKurt Paul Otto Joseph Richter was a German chess International Master and chess writer.- Chess achievements :...
, start 16 June 1940. - BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
(the Berlin City Chess ChampionshipBerlin City Chess ChampionshipThe Berlin Chess Championship is an annual chess tournament in Germany. The first unofficial Berlin Chess Championship was held in 1853, and Jean Dufresne won a match against Max Lange.Since 1904, official Berlin championships have taken place...
), won by Rudolf PalmeRudolf PalmeRudolf Palme was an Austrian chess master.He took 14th at Vienna 1933 , and represented Austria in 3rd unofficial Chess Olympiad at Munich 1936 .In 1937, he came to Berlin, and lived for ten years there...
, June 1940. - PosenPosenPosen may refer to:Places in Europe:* Poznań, Poland * Grand Duchy of Posen, autonomous province of Prussia, 1815–1848* Province of Posen, Prussian province, 1848–1918...
won by Ahues and Elstner, July 1940. - NiceNiceNice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
(the French Chess ChampionshipFrench Chess ChampionshipThe French Chess Championship is the annual, national chess tournament of France. It was officially first played in 1923after the formation of the Fédération Française des Echecs in 1921. The first unofficial national tournament was played in 1880, in the Café de la Régence, where further edition...
), won by Amédée GibaudAmédée GibaudAmédée Gibaud was a French chess master.He won the French Chess Championship four times and won the French correspondence championship three times...
. - SofiaSofiaSofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
(the Bulgarian Chess ChampionshipBulgarian Chess ChampionshipThe Bulgarian Chess Championship is an event inaugurated in 1933 to crown the best chess player in Bulgaria. The championship has been held on a nearly annual basis since, with only a few years missed...
), won by Oleg NeikirchOleg NeikirchOleg Nikolaev Neikirch was a Bulgarian chess master....
and Alexander TsvetkovAlexander TsvetkovAlexander Kristov Tsvetkov a Bulgarian chess master.In April 1936, he won a game against Alexander Alekhine at Alekhine's Simultaneous Exhibition in Sofia...
. - Dublin (the Irish Chess ChampionshipIrish Chess ChampionshipThe Irish Chess Championship is the national Championship of Ireland as run by the Irish Chess Union , the governing body for the sport and a member of FIDE since 1933. Below are the list of winners for the Men's and Women's titles. Note that women are currently admitted to the Men's tournament....
), won by John O'HanlonJohn O'HanlonJohn O'Hanlon was an Irish chess master.He won nine times Irish Chess Championship, first title in 1913 and the last in 1940...
. - MontrealMontrealMontreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
(the 44th Canadian Chess ChampionshipCanadian Chess ChampionshipThis is the list of all the winners of the Canadian Chess Championship, often referred to as the Canadian Closed Championship to distinguish it from the annual Canadian Open tournament. The winner of the Canadian Closed advances to the next stage of the FIDE World Chess Championship cycle...
), won by Maurice FoxMaurice FoxMaurice Fox was a Canadian chess master. He won the Canadian Chess Championship eight times; this is tied for the most Canadian titles with Daniel Yanofsky.-Biography:...
. - Ventnor City won by Milton HanauerMilton HanauerMilton Loeb Hanauer was a public school principal, chess master and Marshall Chess Club official.Born in Harrison, New York, He is best known for running the New York school competition that became known as the Hanauer League and for writing the book Chess Made Simple.His playing career is not...
and Sidney Bernstein. - Dallas (the 41st U.S. OpenU.S. Open Chess ChampionshipThe U.S. Open Championship is an open national chess championship that has been held in the United States annually since 1900.-History:Through 1938, the tournaments were organized by the Western Chess Association and its successor, the American Chess Federation .The United States Chess Federation ...
), won by Reuben FineReuben FineReuben Fine was one of the strongest chess players in the world from the early 1930s through the 1940s, an International Grandmaster, psychologist, university professor, and author of many books on both chess and psychology.Fine won five medals in three chess Olympiads. Fine won the U.S...
ahead of Herman SteinerHerman SteinerHerman Steiner was a United States chess player, organizer, and columnist.He won the U.S. Chess Championship in 1948 and became International Master in 1950....
, August 1940. - Bad OeynhausenBad OeynhausenBad Oeynhausen is a spa town in the Minden-Lübbecke district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.- Geography :Bad Oeynhausen is located on the banks of the Weser river, which runs along the eastern edges of the town. Bad Oeynhausen has the world's highest carbonated, thermal saltwater fountain,...
(the 7th German Chess ChampionshipGerman Chess ChampionshipThe German Chess Championship has been played since 1861, and determines the national champion.Prior to 1880 three different federations organized chess activities in Germany: the Westdeutscher Schachbund , the Norddeutscher Schachbund and the Mitteldeutscher Schachbund . Each one organized its...
), won by Georg KieningerGeorg KieningerGeorg Kieninger was a German chess player and International Master .An avid cigar smoker, Kieninger was nicknamed "Eisernen Schorsch" because of his fighting style. He won the German Chess Championship in 1937, 1940, and 1947...
ahead of Paul Felix SchmidtPaul Felix SchmidtPaul Felix Schmidt was an Estonian chess International Master, chess writer, and chemist.- Biography :In June 1935, he won, ahead of Paul Keres, at Tallinn. In May 1936, he drew a match against Keres at Pärnu. In 1936, he won the 8th Estonian Championship at Tallinn. In December 1936, he placed...
, start 4 August 1940. - RakovnikRakovníkRakovník is a town in the western part of the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic located between the cities of Prague and Plzeň. It has a population of approximately 16,000.- Trade and business :...
(the Bohemia and Moravia Chess ChampionshipCzech Chess ChampionshipThe Czech National Chess Championship is the chess competition, which determines the best Czech Republic chess player.-History:First national championships were held before founding of independent Czechoslovakia as the championships of Bohemia every second year between 1905 and 1913...
), won by Jan FoltysJan FoltysJan Foltys , was a Czech chess International Master.-Biography:...
, 17–31 August 1940. - Lvov won by Edward GerstenfeldEdward GerstenfeldEdward Issakovich Gerstenfeld was a Polish chess master.Born into a Jewish family in Lviv, Galicia , he took 3rd, behind Henryk Friedman and Izaak Schächter, in the Lvov City championships in 1933, took 3rd at Lvov 1933 , took 7th in the Lvov City-ch, and won...
ahead of Izaak AppelIzaak Appel-Biography:In 1926, he took 12th. place in the Warsaw competition, which was won by Dawid Przepiórka. In 1929, he took 2nd place, behind Teodor Regedziński, in the Championship of Łódź. In 1930, he took 6th place in Zoppot , the event won by Paulin Frydman. In 1930–1934 and 1937, Appel won...
, August 1940. - Danzig won by Walter JohnWalter JohnWalter John , was a German chess master.John was born at Thorn , Poland . He took 2nd, behind Curt von Bardeleben in Café Kerkau, and took 4th at Berlin 1902. He won at Hanover 1902...
ahead of Gustav RogmannGustav RogmannGustav Rogmann was a German chess master.He took 2nd, behind Wilhelm Ernst, at Weidenau 1937, took 9th at Bochum 1937, tied for 6-7th at Berlin 1937 , and tied for 4-7th at Krefeld 1938 .During World War II, he shared 3rd at Posen 1940 , took 2nd, behind Walter...
, September 1940. - LeningradLeningradLeningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
(Quadrangular), won by Viacheslav RagozinViacheslav RagozinViacheslav Vasilyevich Ragozin was a Soviet chess Grandmaster, an International Arbiter of chess, and a World Correspondence Chess Champion. He was also a chess writer and editor.- Biography :...
. - LeningradLeningradLeningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
(the 15th Leningrad City Chess ChampionshipLeningrad City Chess ChampionshipThe Leningrad City Chess Championship is a chess tournament held officially in the city of Leningrad, Russia starting from 1920. The city was called Petrograd from 1914 to 1924, then Leningrad until 1991, and Saint Petersburg afterwards...
) won by Ilya RabinovichIlya RabinovichIlya Rabinovich was a Russian chess master.-Biography:In 1911 Ilya Leontievich Rabinovich tied for 1st with Platz in Saint Petersburg...
. - KievKievKiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
(USSR championship, semi-final), won by Gerstenfeld and Stolberg. - MoscowMoscowMoscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
(the 12th USSR Chess ChampionshipUSSR Chess ChampionshipThis is a list of all the winners of the USSR Chess Championship. It was the strongest national chess championship ever held, with eight world chess champions and four world championship finalists among its winners...
), won jointly by Igor BondarevskyIgor BondarevskyIgor Zakharovich Bondarevsky was a Soviet Russian chess Grandmaster in both over-the-board and correspondence chess, an International Arbiter, trainer, and chess author...
and Andor LilienthalAndor LilienthalAndor Arnoldovich Lilienthal was a Hungarian and Soviet chess Grandmaster. In his long career, he played against ten male and female world champions, beating Emanuel Lasker, José Raúl Capablanca, Alexander Alekhine, Max Euwe, Mikhail Botvinnik, Vasily Smyslov, and Vera Menchik...
, followed by Vasily SmyslovVasily SmyslovVasily Vasilyevich Smyslov was a Soviet and Russian chess grandmaster, and was World Chess Champion from 1957 to 1958. He was a Candidate for the World Chess Championship on eight occasions . Smyslov was twice equal first at the Soviet Championship , and his total of 17 Chess Olympiad medals won...
, Paul KeresPaul KeresPaul Keres , was an Estonian chess grandmaster, and a renowned chess writer. He was among the world's top players from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s....
, Isaac BoleslavskyIsaac BoleslavskyIsaac Yefremovich Boleslavsky was a Soviet–Jewish chess Grandmaster.-Early career:Boleslavsky taught himself chess at age 9...
and Mikhail BotvinnikMikhail BotvinnikMikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik, Ph.D. was a Soviet and Russian International Grandmaster and three-time World Chess Champion. Working as an electrical engineer and computer scientist at the same time, he was one of the very few famous chess players who achieved distinction in another career while...
, etc., 5 September – 3 October 1940. - KievKievKiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
(the 12th Ukrainian Chess ChampionshipUkrainian Chess ChampionshipThis is a list of all the winners of the Ukrainian Chess Championship, including those held when Ukraine was a Soviet republic and those held after Ukraine became independent. Players' names listed in parentheses indicate that the player won the tournament but did not receive the title since he...
), won by Boleslavsky ahead of David BronsteinDavid BronsteinDavid Ionovich Bronstein was a Soviet chess grandmaster, who narrowly missed becoming World Chess Champion in 1951. Bronstein was described by his peers as a creative genius and master of tactics...
. - KrakowKrakówKraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
/KrynicaKrynicaKrynica-Zdrój is a town in Nowy Sącz County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland in the Beskids mountains, inhabited by over eleven thousand people. It is the biggest spa town in Poland called The Pearl of Polish Spas; a tourist and winter sport centre. It was first recorded in 1547 and became a...
/WarsawWarsawWarsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
(the 1st General Government Chess ChampionshipGeneral Government chess tournamentGeneral Government chess championships were held during World War II:- Participants :*Alexander Alekhine /*Efim Bogoljubow /*Paul Felix Schmidt /*Klaus Junge /*Karl Gilg /*Josef Lokvenc /*Hans Müller /...
), won by Bogoljubow and Anton KohlerAnton KohlerAnton Kohler , a German chess player from Munich.In 1937, he shared 3rd in Stadtprozelten / Main, and took 12th in Bad Oeynhausen . In 1938, he won in Heilbronn, and tied for 8-9th in Bad Oeynhausen . In 1938/39, he tied for 1st-3rd in Karlsruhe...
, 3–17 November 1940. - PosenPosenPosen may refer to:Places in Europe:* Poznań, Poland * Grand Duchy of Posen, autonomous province of Prussia, 1815–1848* Province of Posen, Prussian province, 1848–1918...
(Quadrangular), won by Rogmann. - PraguePraguePrague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
(the Kautsky Memorial), won by Josef DobiášJosef DobiášJosef Dobiáš was a Czech chess player.At the beginning of his career, he took 5th at Prague 1908 , tied for 4-5th at Pilsen 1911, tied for 5-7th at Breslau 1912 , took 6th at 1913 Jungbunzlau 1913 , and took 8th at Böhmisch Trübau...
. - MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
(the Pietzcker Christmas Tournament), won by Lazare Suchowolski, December 1940. - SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
(the New South Wales championship), won by Lajos SteinerLajos SteinerLajos Steiner was a Hungarian–born Australian chess master.Steiner was one of four children of Bernat Steiner, a mathematics teacher, and his wife Cecilia,, and a younger brother of Endre Steiner...
followed by Gary KoshnitskyGary KoshnitskyGregory Koshnitsky was an Australian chess master.Born in Kishinev, Bessarabia , he emigrated in his youth to Australia....
, Cecil PurdyCecil PurdyCecil John Seddon Purdy was an Australian chess International Master and inaugural World Correspondence Chess champion. Purdy earned the Grandmaster title at Correspondence Chess in 1953...
, etc., 1940/41.
Matches
- Paul KeresPaul KeresPaul Keres , was an Estonian chess grandmaster, and a renowned chess writer. He was among the world's top players from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s....
won against Max EuweMax EuweMachgielis Euwe was a Dutch chess Grandmaster, mathematician, and author. He was the fifth player to become World Chess Champion . Euwe also served as President of FIDE, the World Chess Federation, from 1970 to 1978.- Early years :Euwe was born in Watergraafsmeer, near Amsterdam...
(7.5 : 6.5) in The Netherlands (various places) in 1939/40. - Carlos MadernaCarlos MadernaCarlos Hugo Maderna was an Argentine chess master.He was twice Argentine Champion; in 1940 he won a match for the title against Luis Piazzini , then lost a match to Carlos Guimard in 1941, and won the title after play-off with Jacobo Bolbochán and Heinrich Reinhardt in 1950/51.In 1928, he tied...
defeated Luis PiazziniLuis PiazziniLuis Roberto Piazzini was an Argentine chess master.He participated many times in Argentine championships, and was an Argentine Champion in 1933 winning ARG-ch Torneo Mayor and a match for the title against Jacobo Bolbochán...
(8 : 6), Buenos Aires, Argentina (the 18th ARG-ch). - Walter CruzWalter CruzWalter Oswaldo Cruz was a Brazilian chess master.He was six-time Brazilian Champion and thrice Sub-Champion...
beat Octavio TrompowskyOctavio TrompowskyOctavio Figueira Trompowsky de Almeida was a Brazilian chess player, who was born and died in Rio de Janeiro....
(5.5 : 1.5), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. - Georg KieningerGeorg KieningerGeorg Kieninger was a German chess player and International Master .An avid cigar smoker, Kieninger was nicknamed "Eisernen Schorsch" because of his fighting style. He won the German Chess Championship in 1937, 1940, and 1947...
defeated Wilhelm ErnstWilhelm Ernst (chess player)Wilhelm Ernst was a German chess master.He was a winner at Weidenau 1937. He played several times in German Chess Championship; took 2nd, behind Kurt Richter, at Aachen 1935,...
(6 : 4), Cologne, Germany. - Georg KieningerGeorg KieningerGeorg Kieninger was a German chess player and International Master .An avid cigar smoker, Kieninger was nicknamed "Eisernen Schorsch" because of his fighting style. He won the German Chess Championship in 1937, 1940, and 1947...
defeated Wilhelm ErnstWilhelm Ernst (chess player)Wilhelm Ernst was a German chess master.He was a winner at Weidenau 1937. He played several times in German Chess Championship; took 2nd, behind Kurt Richter, at Aachen 1935,...
(5.5 : 4.5), Gelsenkirchen, Germany. - Georg KieningerGeorg KieningerGeorg Kieninger was a German chess player and International Master .An avid cigar smoker, Kieninger was nicknamed "Eisernen Schorsch" because of his fighting style. He won the German Chess Championship in 1937, 1940, and 1947...
beat Immo Engert (7.5 : 2.5), Düsseldorf, Germany. - Mikhail BotvinnikMikhail BotvinnikMikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik, Ph.D. was a Soviet and Russian International Grandmaster and three-time World Chess Champion. Working as an electrical engineer and computer scientist at the same time, he was one of the very few famous chess players who achieved distinction in another career while...
beat Viacheslav RagozinViacheslav RagozinViacheslav Vasilyevich Ragozin was a Soviet chess Grandmaster, an International Arbiter of chess, and a World Correspondence Chess Champion. He was also a chess writer and editor.- Biography :...
(8.5 : 3.5), Leningrad, Russia. - Grigory LevenfishGrigory LevenfishGrigory Yakovlevich Levenfish was a leading Jewish Russian chess grandmaster of the 1920s and 1930s. He was twice Soviet champion - in 1934 and 1937. In 1937 he tied a match against future world champion Mikhail Botvinnik...
won against Vladimir AlatortsevVladimir AlatortsevVladimir Alexeyevich Alatortsev , was a Russian chess grandmaster, organizer, teacher, author, and administrator. During his career, he became champion of both Leningrad and Moscow, and played nine times in the Soviet Chess Championship finals, with his best competitive results in the 1930s...
(8.5 : 5.5), Russia.
Births
- 8 February – Boris KoganBoris KoganBoris Markovich Kogan was a Russian-American chess master.Kogan was the Soviet Junior Champion in 1956 and 1957. He was a full-time chess teacher in the Soviet Union before emigrating and coming to the United States in 1981. In 1981 he was also awarded the International Master title.He played in...
, Russian/American IM - 15 May – Carlos BielickiCarlos BielickiCarlos Bielicki is an Argentine chess master.In 1958, he won the Argentine Junior Championship. In 1959, Bielicki was World Junior Chess Champion, winning the tournament in Münchenstein and earning the International Master title. In 1960, he took 11th at Mar del Plata . In 1961, he took 7th in Mar...
, Argentine IM, 1959 World Junior ChampionWorld Junior Chess ChampionshipThe World Junior Chess Championship is an under-20 chess tournament organized by the World Chess Federation .... - 2 June – István CsomIstván CsomIstván Csom is a Hungarian chess Grandmaster and International Arbiter. FIDE awarded him the International Master title in 1967 and the Grandmaster title in 1973. He was Hungarian Champion in 1972 and 1973...
in Satoraljaujhely, Hungarian GM - 7 June – Liudmila BelavenetsLiudmila BelavenetsLiudmila Belavenets is a Russian woman International Correspondence Chess Grandmaster, the fourth ICCF Women's World Champion in correspondence chess . Moreover she is a Woman International Master in the over the board chess...
in Moscow, Russian ICCGM and Women's World Correspondence Champion 1984–1992 - 2 August – Adrian HollisAdrian HollisAdrian Swayne Hollis , is an English correspondence chess grandmaster and was British Correspondence Chess Champion in 1966 , 1967, and 1971....
in Bristol, English ICCGM - 8 August – Dragutin SahovicDragutin SahovićDragutin Sahović was a chess Grandmaster.He tied for first place in the 1977 Lone Pine International tournament.-External links:...
in Kraljevo, Yugoslavian/Serbian GM - 24 September – Renato NaranjaRenato NaranjaRenato Naranja is an International Master of chess from the Philippines.He is Philippine Junior Champion in 1958 and Philippine Adult Champion in 1965. In 1959, he placed 9th in world junior championship U20 in Münchenstein...
, Filipino IM - 26 September – Vladimir SavonVladimir SavonVladimir Andreyevich Savon was a Ukrainian chess player.He learned how to play late, at the age of 13....
in Chernihiv, Soviet/Ukrainian GM, USSR ChampionUSSR Chess ChampionshipThis is a list of all the winners of the USSR Chess Championship. It was the strongest national chess championship ever held, with eight world chess champions and four world championship finalists among its winners...
in 1971 - 7 October – Liu WenzheLiu WenzheLiu Wenzhe is a retired International Master chess player. He has also been one of China's top chess trainers.Liu Wenzhe played for Guangdong chess club in the China Chess League .- Chess career :...
, Chinese IM and trainer - 10 November – Miodrag TodorcevicMiodrag TodorcevicMiodrag Todorčević, Миодраг Тодорчевић a Serbian-French chess master and coach.In his chess career, he represented Yugoslavia/Serbia , France , and Spain ....
in Belgrade, Serbian/French GM and coach - 19 December – Jusefs PetkevichJusefs PetkevichJuzefs Petkēvičs a Latvian chess Grandmaster.Born into a Polish family , he came first in the Riga Championship of 1967, winning all thirteen games.He tied for 1st-3rd at Pärnu 1967...
, Latvian GM - Andrew KalotayAndrew KalotayAndrew Kalotay is a Hungarian-born finance professor, Wall Street quant and chess master. He is best known as an authority on fixed income valuation and institutional debt management...
, Hungarian-born Canadian/American chess player
Deaths
- ca. March - Dawid PrzepiórkaDawid PrzepiórkaDawid Przepiórka was a prominent Polish chess player of the early twentieth century.Dawid Przepiórka was born 22 December 1880 in Warsaw, Poland , to a family of wealthy landowners and entrepreneurs of Jewish extraction...
killed in a mass execution by the Nazis in PalmiryPalmiryPalmiry During World War II, between 1939 and 1943, the village and the surrounding forest was one of the sites of German mass executions of Jews, Polish intelligentsia, politicians and athletes, killed during the AB Action. Most of the victims were first arrested and tortured in the Pawiak prison...
. - ca. March - Achilles FrydmanAchilles Frydman-Biography:He lived in Łódź where he took 4th place and tied for 5-6th in the city championships. In 1935, he took 5th in Warsaw at the 3rd Polish Chess Championship, an event won by Savielly Tartakower. The same year, he took 7th in Łódź...
killed in a mass execution in Palmiry. - ca. March - Stanisław Kohn killed in a mass execution in Palmiry.
- ca. March - Moishe LowtzkyMoishe Lowtzky-Biography:He was born into a Jewish family in Ukraine. In 1903, Lowtzky tied for 6-7th with Eugene Znosko-Borovsky in Kiev . The event was won by Mikhail Chigorin. In 1903, he took 4th in Dresden . In 1904, he tied for 2nd-3rd in Coburg . In 1910, he tied for 1st with Thoenes in Hamburg...
killed in a mass execution in Palmiry. - 5 May - Willi SchlageWilli SchlageWilli Schlage was a German chess master and trainer.In 1910, he won in Hamburg . He played in friendly matches: Berlin–Prague , Berlin–Holland , Germany–Netherlands , and Germany–Sweden...
died in Berlin, Germany. - 4 July - Sammi FajarowiczSammi FajarowiczSammi Fajarowicz was a German chess master.Born into a Jewish family with Ukrainian roots. He played several times in Leipzig championships; took 3rd in 1928, took 2nd in 1929, shared 1st with Max Blümich, but lost to him a play-off match in 1930, and twice won in 1931 and 1933...
died in the Jewish Hospital in Leipzig (Leipziger Israelische Krankenhaus) of tuberculosis. Fajarowicz Gambit. - 18 July – Davide MarottiDavide MarottiDavide Marotti was an Italian chess master.He was a professor of literature and philosophy. In 1911, he took 5th in Rome . In 1919, he won in Naples. In 1920, he took 2nd, behind Stefano Rosselli del Turco, in Viareggio...
, winner of the first Italian ChampionshipItalian Chess ChampionshipThe Italian Chess Federation , was established in 1920.The first Italian Chess Championship took place at Viareggio 1921.The 1998 Championship was held 21–29 November in Saint-Vincent.... - 11 September - Peter Fyfe died in Glasgow, Scotland. Fyfe Gambit.
- 30 November - Wilhelm HilseWilhelm HilseWilhelm Heinrich Hilse was a German chess master.He tied for 12-13th at Coburg 1904 , shared 1st at Bremen 1906 , took 4th at Hannover 1907 , won at Barmbek 1911 , and took 13th at Mannheim 1914 Wilhelm Heinrich Hilse (26 June 1878 - 30 November 1940) was a German chess master.He tied for 12-13th...
died in Germany. - December - Walter JohnWalter JohnWalter John , was a German chess master.John was born at Thorn , Poland . He took 2nd, behind Curt von Bardeleben in Café Kerkau, and took 4th at Berlin 1902. He won at Hanover 1902...
died in Berlin, Germany. - December - František SchubertFrantišek SchubertFrantišek Schubert was a Czech chess master.Before World War I, he took 4th at Pilsen 1911 , played at Böhmisch Trübau 1913, and took 7th at Jungbunzlau 1913 .In 1915, he took 5th in Vienna František Schubert (27 April 1894, Mladá Boleslav – December 1940) was a Czech chess master.Before World...
died in the Protectorate of Bohemia and MoraviaProtectorate of Bohemia and MoraviaThe Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia was the majority ethnic-Czech protectorate which Nazi Germany established in the central parts of Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia in what is today the Czech Republic...
. - Moshe HirschbeinMoshe HirschbeinMoshe Hirschbein was a Polish chess master.Born into a Jewish family, he lived in Łódź, playing in many local tournaments. In 1912, he took 7th , twice took 4th in 1913 and 1916/17 Moshe Hirschbein (Hirszbein, Hirszbain) (? – 1940) was a Polish chess master.Born into a Jewish family, he lived in...
, Polish master, died by the Nazis. - Max WalterMax WalterMax Walter was a Slovak chess master.Born in Pressburg , then Austria–Hungary, he began his chess career in Czechoslovakia, after World War I.Max Walter won Czechoslovak Chess Championship at Pardubice 1923...
, Slovak master, died by the Nazis. - Arthur KaufmannArthur KaufmannArthur Kaufmann was an Austrian chess master.Born in Romania, he lived and played in Vienna. In 1892, he tied for 5-6th , shared 3rd in 1893/94 , twice took 2nd in 1896 and 1897/98, both behind Georg Marco. He drew a match with Marco in 1893.Because of illness, his career was broken for many...
, Austrian master, died by the Nazis. - Kalikst MorawskiKalikst MorawskiKalikst von Morawski was a Polish chess master.Born in a village Boryszkowce , Galicia , he studied law in the Lviv University from 1877 to 1884. He moved to Stanislau in 1893, and lived there until 1914, working in the state treasure's office...
, Polish master, died probably in SiberiaSiberiaSiberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
.