Viktors Pupols facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Viktors Pupols |
|
|---|---|
Pupols in 2009
|
|
| Country | United States |
| Born | July 31, 1934 |
| Peak rating | 2239 (January 2006) |
Viktors Pūpols was born on July 31, 1934. He is an American chess master, which means he is a very skilled chess player. Many local players know him as "Uncle Vik." He often plays chess at the Tacoma Chess Club. He even won the Club Champion title in 1955. You can find some of his games online on the club's website. Pupols is married to Deborah Petzal-Pupols.
Contents
Viktors Pupols: A Chess Champion
Viktors Pupols has had a long and successful career in chess. He is known for his exciting style of play. He has won many tournaments and earned important titles in the chess world.
Famous Chess Games
Viktors Pupols played in the U.S. Junior Championship Open in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1955. This tournament was won by Charles Kalme. During this event, Pupols had a very famous game where he beat a young player named Bobby Fischer. Fischer later became one of the greatest chess players ever and the world's youngest grandmaster just three years after this game.
Pupols won his game against Fischer using a special opening called the Latvian Gambit. What made this win even more unique is that Fischer lost on time. This means he ran out of time to make his moves before the game ended. It was one of only two times Fischer ever lost a game this way!
Tournament Wins and Titles
Viktors Pupols first played in the Washington State Championship tournament in 1954. He has played in most of these tournaments since then. He won the championship outright in 1961, 1974, and 1989. He also tied for first place in 1978. In 1964, he won the tournament, but Gerald Ronning took the official title after a special match.
In 1975, he tied for 6th-11th place in a tournament in Vancouver. The famous chess player Paul Keres won that event shortly before he passed away. In 1980, Pupols won the Keres Memorial tournament, also in Vancouver. He also won the Idaho Open three times in a row: in 1984, 1985, and 1986.
In 2005, Pupols won the Eastern Washington Open again. He had first won this tournament way back in 1956 when he was a teenage chess star. His 2005 win came after a final game that ended in a draw with Curt Collyer, a three-time Spokane Chess Champion.
Viktors Pupols earned the Candidate Master (CM) title on May 25, 1992. This title is given to players who have reached a high level of skill. Later, on April 4, 1994, he earned the Life Master (LM) title. This is an even higher honor for chess players who have maintained a strong performance over many years.
About Viktors Pupols
A book about Viktors Pupols, called Viktors Pupols, American Master, was written by Larry Parr. It was published in 1983. In the book, Viktors shares a funny story about playing against a young player who would later become a Grandmaster, Yasser Seirawan. Viktors said, "I could not even see my opponent. All I could hear was a voice calling out from under the table - Check!!" This shows how young and talented Yasser Seirawan was even then.
See also
