František Zíta

František Zíta (29 November 1909 – 1 October 1977) was a Czech chess master who was born and died in Prague.^[1][2]

Zíta played for Czechoslovakia in Chess Olympiads:

• In 1937, at first reserve board in 7th Chess Olympiad in Stockholm (+4 –4 =3);
• In 1939, at first reserve board in 8th Chess Olympiad in Buenos Aires (+10 –2 =4);
• In 1952, at first reserve board in 10th Chess Olympiad in Helsinki (+1 –0 =2);
• In 1954, at third board in 11th Chess Olympiad in Amsterdam (+1 –1 =8).

He won the individual silver medal at Buenos Aires 1939.^[3]

During World War II, he tied for 4th= in Bohemia and Moravia Championship at Rakovnik 1940 (Jan Foltys won),^[4] shared 4th at Chocen 1942 (Miroslav Katětov won), tied for 4th= at Prague 1942 (Duras Jubileé, Alexander Alekhine and Klaus Junge won),^[5] won at Prague 1943 (B&M-ch), tied for 4th= at Zlín 1943 (Čeněk Kottnauer won).^[6]

After the war, he shared 11th at Prague 1946 (Treybal Memorial, Miguel Najdorf won),^[7] shared 1st in Czechoslovak Chess Championship at Bratislava 1948 but lost a play-off match for the title to Emil Richter, took 17th at Karlovy Vary 1948 (Foltys won),^[8] took 16th at Szczawno Zdrój 1950 (Paul Keres won),^[9] took 3rd at Prague 1953 (CSR-ch, Luděk Pachman won), shared 13th at Mariánské Lázně / Prague 1956 (Miroslav Filip won),^[10] took 10th at Sofia 1957 (zonal, Filip won).^[11] Zita played in the 1957 European Team Championship^[12] where the Czech team won the bronze medal.^[13]

Zíta was awarded the International Master (IM) title in 1950.^[1]

References