Lothar Schmid

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Lothar Schmid (born 10 May 1928) is a German chess grandmaster.

[edit] Biography

In 1941, at the beginning of his career, Schmid won the Dresden Championship. In 1943, he took 2nd in Vienna (German Juniors Championship). In June 1947, he tied for 1st with Gerhardt Pfeiffer in Wiessenfels (SBZ-ch). In April 1948, he tied for 2nd-3rd in Celle (Carl Ahues won). In September 1948, he tied for 4-5th at the full German Chess Championship (12th GER-ch) in Essen. The event was won by Wolfgang Unzicker. In May 1949, he took 3rd in Bad Pyrmont (13th GER-ch). The event was won by Efim Bogoljubow. In August 1949, he tied for 1st in Grossröhrsdorf. In 1950, he drew (4 : 4) a match with Wade in Bamberg. In 1951, he won in Travemünde. In 1951/52, he took 3rd in Hastings (Svetozar Gligorić won). In 1953, he tied for 2nd-3rd, behind Esteban Canal, in Venice. In 1954, he won in Zürich. In March 1955, he won in Nuremberg. In October 1955, he took 2nd, behind Klaus Darga, in Hoechst (3rd FRG-ch). In 1956, he won in Göteborg. In 1957, he took 4th in Dublin (zonal). The event was won by Luděk Pachman. In October 1959, he took 2nd, behind Unzicker, in Nuremberg (5th FRG-ch). In 1963, he tied for 1st in Malaga. In 1964, he won in Wilderness. In 1964, he tied for 4-5th in Zürich. In 1968, he tied for 2nd-3rd with Tigran Petrosian, behind Paul Keres, in Bamberg. In 1970, he won in Mar del Plata. In 1971, he tied for 2nd-4th in Adelaida. In 1979, he tied for 3rd-4th in Lugano.

Lothar Schmid played for West Germany at eleven Chess Olympiads.

• In 1950, at second board in Dubrovnik (+7 -1 =4).
• In 1952, at second board in Helsinki (+7 -1 =4).
• In 1954, at second board in Amsterdam (+6 -4 =3).
• In 1956, at second board in Moscow (+4 -2 =7).
• In 1958, at third board in Munich (+6 -3 =4).
• In 1960, at second board in Leipzig (+7 -2 =5).
• In 1962, at third board in Varna (+4 -2 =2).
• In 1964, at third board in Tel Aviv (+7 -2 =5).
• In 1968, at second board in Lugano (+6 -0 =6).
• In 1970, at second board in Siegen (+7 -1 =4).
• In 1974, at first board in Nice (+5 -3 =7).

He won four individual silver medals (1950, 1952, 1968, 1970) and two team bronze medals (1950, 1964).

Schmid played for FRG team at twelve Clare Benedict Cup. He won nine gold, one silver, and two bronze medals in 1957-1973.

He won 1st German Correspondence Championship (1950-1952), won 1st Eduard Dyckhoff Memorial (1954-1956), and came 2nd with Lucius Endzelins, behind Viacheslav Ragozin, in the 2nd World Correspondence Championship in (1956-1959).

Awarded the IM title in 1951, and the GM and GMC titles in 1959.

Schmid is a fairminded popular judge and arbiter as witnessed in the Fischer-Spassky 1972, Karpov-Korchnoi 1978, Kasparov-Karpov 1986 World Championship, and also Fischer-Spassky 1992 (the 'Revenge Match').

[edit] Notable chess games

• Lothar Schmid vs Walter Sahlmann, Essen 1948, 12th GER-ch, Sicilian, Chameleon, B20, 1-0
• Efim Bogoljubow vs Lothar Schmid, Bad Pyrmont 1949, 13th GER-ch, Scotch Game, Schmid Gambit, C47, 0-1 Desperado piece !
• Lothar Schmid vs Herman Steiner (USA), Dubrovnik 1950, 9th Olympiad, Sicilian, O'Kelly Variation, B28, 1-0
• Juan Carlos Gonzales Zamora (CUB) vs Lothar Schmid, Helsinki 1952, 10th Olympiad, English Opening, King's English Variation, Reversed Sicilian, A21, 0-1 Classical ending mastery.
• Lothar Schmid vs Paul Keres (URS), Tel Aviv 1964, 16th Olympiad, Ruy Lopez, Closed, C92, 1-0 After long and exhausting battle White broke down Black's resistance.
• Grantel Gibbs (HKG) vs Lothar Schmid, Lugano 1968, 18th Olympiad, Alekhine's Defense, B02, 0-1 Shortest decisive game of the Olympiad.
• Lothar Schmid vs Bent Larsen, San Juan 1969, Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer Variation, B60, 1-0
• Lothar Schmid vs Anton Kinzel (AUT), Siegen 1970, 19th Olympiad, Russian Game, Modern Attack, C43, 1-0 Best game prize !

[edit] Trivia

Lothar Schmid is an owner of the largest known private chess library. He is also a renowned collector of chess art masterpieces and chess boards and pieces from all over the world.