Lothar Schmid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lothar Schmid |
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Schmid at Oberhausen in 1961
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| Full name | Lothar Maximilian Lorenz Schmid |
| Country | Germany |
| Born | 10 May 1928 Radebeul, Dresden, Germany |
| Died | 18 May 2013 (aged 85) Bamberg, Germany |
| Title | Grandmaster (1959) ICCF Grandmaster (1959) International Arbiter (1975) |
| FIDE rating | Inactive |
| Peak rating | 2550 (January 1971) |
Lothar Maximilian Lorenz Schmid (born May 10, 1928 – died May 18, 2013) was a famous German chess player. He became a grandmaster, which is one of the highest titles in chess. He was born in Radebeul, a town near Dresden, into a family that owned a publishing company. This company published the popular adventure novels by Karl May.
Schmid was especially known for being the main arbiter (a referee) at several World Chess Championship matches. The most famous one was the 1972 match between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky in Reykjavík. He also loved collecting chess books and items. People said he had the biggest private collection of chess books in the world. He also had a great collection of chess art, chessboards, and chess pieces from all over the globe.
Contents
Becoming a Chess Grandmaster
Early Chess Success
Lothar Schmid started his chess journey very early. In 1941, when he was just 13 years old, he won the Dresden chess championship. This was a big achievement for someone so young! A couple of years later, in 1943, he came in second place at the German Juniors Championship held in Vienna. He continued to play well in German championships throughout the 1940s and 1950s.
Playing in International Tournaments
Schmid played in many chess tournaments around the world. In 1950, he had a tied match in Bamberg. He won tournaments in places like Travemünde (1951), Zürich (1954), and Gothenburg (1956).
One of his best playing achievements happened in 1968 in his hometown of Bamberg. He tied for second place with Tigran Petrosian, who was the world champion at that time. They finished behind another chess legend, Paul Keres. This was a huge moment in Schmid's playing career. He also won the Mar del Plata tournament in 1970. In 1980, he won a TV chess series called The Master Game, beating strong players like Viktor Korchnoi.
Representing Germany in Chess Olympiads
Lothar Schmid played for West Germany in eleven Chess Olympiads. These are big team chess tournaments where countries compete against each other. He played in Olympiads from 1950 to 1974.
He earned four individual silver medals for his great performance on his board. His team also won two bronze medals in 1950 and 1964. He also played in the Clare Benedict Cup, another team competition, twelve times. There, he helped his team win nine gold medals, one silver, and two bronze medals between 1957 and 1973.
Correspondence Chess Achievements
Schmid also played correspondence chess, where players send their moves to each other, often by mail. He won the first German Correspondence Chess Championship (1950–1952). He also came in second place in the second World Correspondence Championship (1956–1959).
Receiving International Chess Titles
Because of his strong play, Schmid was given the International Master title in 1951. Later, in 1959, he earned the prestigious Grandmaster title.
Lothar Schmid as a Chess Arbiter
Schmid became an International Arbiter in 1975. An arbiter is like a referee in sports. They make sure the rules are followed during chess matches. Schmid was the chief arbiter for some of the most famous World Chess Championship matches.
He was the main arbiter for:
- The 1972 match between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky. This match was very famous and exciting.
- The 1978 match between Anatoly Karpov and Viktor Korchnoi.
- The 1986 match between Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov.
- The 1992 'Revenge Match' between Fischer and Spassky.
Lothar Schmid was even shown in the 2014 movie Pawn Sacrifice. This film was about the 1972 match between Fischer and Spassky. Actor Brett Watson played Schmid in the movie.
His Amazing Collection
Lothar Schmid was a passionate collector. He collected many rare chess books and items. One of the most special books he owned was called Repetición d'Amores y Arte de Ajedrez. This was the first-ever printed chess manual, published in 1497. Only ten copies of this book are known to still exist today!
See also
In Spanish: Lothar Schmid para niños
