General Government chess tournament

General Government chess championships (Schachmeisterschaft des Generalgouvernements) were Nazi tournaments held during World War II in occupied central Poland. Hans Frank, the Governor-General of General Government, was the patron of those tournaments because he was an avid chess player.[1][2] The competition began when he organized a chess congress in Krakow on 3 November 1940. Six months later Frank announced the establishment of a chess school under Chess grandmasters, Efim Bogoljubov and Alexander Alekhine.[2]

Historical context

A number of Polish chess players was arrested in January 1940. Jewish players were killed by Germans, e.g. Dawid Przepiórka. Ethnic Poles didn't participate in the tournaments.[3][4]

Participants

• Alexander Alekhine Russia/France
• Efim Bogoljubow Ukraine/Germany
• Paul Felix Schmidt Estonia/Germany
• Klaus Junge Chile/Germany
• Karl Gilg Czechoslovakia/Germany
• Josef Lokvenc Austria/Germany
• Hans Müller Austria/Germany
• Wolfgang Weil Austria/Germany
• Paul MrossPoland/Germany
• Teodor RegedzińskiPoland/Germany
• Leon Tuhan-BaranowskiPoland/Germany
• Fedir Bohatyrchuk Ukraine/Soviet Union

and other German players /Germany.

Regedziński played as Theodore Reger, and Tuhan-Baranowski as Lisse.

Krakow / Krynica / Warsaw 1940

The first General Government Championship was held in Krakow/Krynica/Warsaw in 3–17 November 1940.[5]

#	Player	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Total
1	Anton Kohler	x	½	½	½	½	1	1	½	1	1	1	0	7½
2	Efim Bogoljubow	½	x	½	½	0	½	1	1	½	1	1	1	7½
3	Kurt Richter	½	½	x	½	1	½	0	1	1	1	½	½	7
4	Josef Lokvenc	½	½	½	x	1	0	½	0	½	1	½	1	6
5	Paul Mross	½	1	0	0	x	1	1	0	½	0	½	1	5½
6	Hans Müller	0	½	½	1	0	x	½	½	½	½	1	½	5½
7	Max Blümich	0	0	1	½	0	½	x	1	½	½	1	½	5½
8	Carl Ahues	½	0	0	1	1	½	0	x	½	½	1	½	5½
9	Karl Gilg	0	½	0	½	½	½	½	½	x	½	½	½	4½
10	Georg Kieninger	0	0	0	0	1	½	½	½	½	x	0	1	4
11	Ludwig Rellstab	0	0	½	½	½	0	0	0	½	1	x	1	4
12	Max Eisinger	1	0	½	0	0	½	½	½	½	0	0	x	3½

Krakow / Warsaw 1941

The second General Government Championship was held in Krakow/Warsaw in 5–19 October 1941.[6]

#	Player	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Total
1	Alexander Alekhine	x	1	1	½	½	1	1	½	1	½	½	1	8½
2	Paul Felix Schmidt	0	x	1	½	1	1	0	1	1	1	1	1	8½
3	Efim Bogoljubow	0	0	x	½	½	1	½	1	1	1	1	1	7½
4	Klaus Junge	½	½	½	x	½	1	½	½	1	½	½	1	7
5	Josef Lokvenc	½	0	½	½	x	0	½	½	½	½	1	1	5½
6	Teodor Regedziński	0	0	0	0	1	x	0	1	0	1	1	1	5
7	Georg Kieninger	0	1	½	½	½	1	x	½	0	½	0	0	4½
8	Eduard Hahn	½	0	0	½	½	0	½	x	1	1	½	0	4½
9	Max Blümich	0	0	0	0	½	1	1	0	x	½	1	½	4½
10	Carl Carls	½	0	0	½	½	0	½	0	½	x	1	0	3½
11	Heinz Nowarra	½	0	0	½	0	0	1	½	0	0	x	1	3½
12	Paul Mross	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	½	1	0	x	3½

Warsaw / Lublin / Krakow 1942

The third General Government Championship was held in Warsaw/Lublin/Krakow in 11–24 October 1942.[7]

#	Player	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Total
1	Alexander Alekhine	x	1	0	½	½	½	1	1	1	1	1	7½
2	Klaus Junge	0	x	½	½	1	1	0	½	1	1	1	6½
3	Efim Bogoljubow	1	½	x	1	½	1	1	0	½	0	½	6
4	Fritz Sämisch	½	½	0	x	1	0	1	½	½	1	½	5½
5	Rudolf Keller	½	0	½	0	x	1	0	1	½	1	1	5½
6	Georg Kieninger	½	0	0	1	0	x	1	0	½	1	1	5
7	Alfred Brinckmann	0	1	0	0	1	0	x	½	½	1	½	4½
8	Werner Kunerth	0	½	1	½	0	1	½	x	½	0	0	4
9	Wolfgang Weil	0	0	½	½	½	½	½	½	x	0	1	4
10	Hans Roepstorff	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	1	x	1	4
11	Hans Zollner	0	0	½	½	0	0	½	1	0	0	x	2½

Krynica 1943

The fourth General Government Championship was held in Krynica in 25 November–5 December 1943.[8]

#	Player	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total
1	Josef Lokvenc	x	0	½	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	7½
2	Wilhelm Kuppe	1	x	0	½	½	1	1	1	1	½	6½
3	Efim Bogoljubow	½	1	x	0	½	1	½	1	1	1	6½
4	Georg Klaus	0	½	1	x	1	0	0	0	1	1	4½
5	Leon Tuhan-Baranowski	0	½	½	0	x	0	0	1	1	1	4
6	Hans Roepstorff	0	0	0	1	1	x	1	0	1	1	4
7	Edith Keller	0	0	½	1	1	0	x	0	0	1	3½
8	Heinz Nowarra	0	0	0	1	0	1	1	x	0	½	3½
9	Egon Gilles	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	1	x	0	3
10	Franz Herzog	0	½	0	0	0	0	0	½	1	x	2

Radom 1944

The fifth General Government Championship was held in Radom in February 1944.[9]

#	Player	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total
1	Efim Bogoljubow	x	½	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	8½
2	Fedir Bohatyrchuk	½	x	½	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	8
3	Hans Roepstorff	0	½	x	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	7½
4	Leon Tuhan-Baranowski	0	0	0	x	½	½	1	1	1	1	5
5	Franz Herzog	0	0	0	½	x	0	1	1	1	1	4½
6	Planck	0	0	0	½	1	x	0	1	1	1	4½
7	Heinz Nowarra	0	0	0	0	0	1	x	1	1	1	4
8	Probst	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	x	1	1	2
9	Sänger	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	x	1	1
10	Meckel	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	x	0

References

1. Chess In Former German, Now Polish Territories - Fred Van Der Vliet Archived 2012-01-08 at the Wayback Machine
2. Hans Frank and Chess - Edward Winter
3. Goldstein, Alexander (1984). "David Przepiórka". EG. 77 (5): 314–317.
4. Hoffman, Paul (2007). King's Gambit: A Son, a Father, and the World's Most Dangerous Game. Hyperion Books. p. 388. David Przepiorka.
5. 1940 Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
6. 1941 Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
7. 1942 Archived August 7, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
8. 1943 Archived February 22, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
9. 1944 Archived 2009-01-03 at the Wayback Machine

See also

• Football in occupied Poland (1939–45)