Wolfgang Unzicker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wolfgang Unzicker |
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Wolfgang Unzicker, 1953
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| Full name | Wolfgang Unzicker |
| Country | Germany |
| Born | 26 June 1925 Pirmasens, Germany |
| Died | 20 April 2006 (aged 80) Albufeira, Portugal |
| Title | Grandmaster |
| Peak rating | 2545 (July 1971) |
Wolfgang Unzicker (born June 26, 1925 – died April 20, 2006) was a very strong German chess player. He was a Grandmaster from the mid-1940s to the early 1970s. Even though he was great at chess, he chose to become a lawyer instead of a professional player. Famous World Champion Anatoly Karpov once called him the "world champion of amateurs."
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Early Life and Chess Beginnings
Wolfgang Unzicker was born in Pirmasens, a small town in Germany. This town is known for making shoes. His father taught him how to play chess when he was 10 years old. Wolfgang also had an older brother who played chess, but sadly, he died in World War II.
A Top Amateur Player
Unzicker started playing in chess tournaments outside Germany in 1948. This was when Germany was still rebuilding after the war. He earned the important title of Grandmaster in 1954. He won the German Championship six times between 1948 and 1963. He also tied for first place in 1965.
Representing Germany
From 1950 to 1978, Unzicker played in twelve Chess Olympiads. These are big team chess tournaments for countries. He was the top player for Germany in ten of these events. He played almost 400 times for Germany's national team. For many years, he also worked as a legal advisor for the German Chess Association.
Major Tournament Successes
Unzicker had many great wins in his chess career. In 1965, he tied for first place with Boris Spassky at the Chigorin Memorial in Sochi. He also won first place at Maribor in 1967, beating strong players like Samuel Reshevsky. He won tournaments in Krems and shared first place in Amsterdam in 1980.
Olympic Achievements
At the Dubrovnik Chess Olympiad in 1950, Unzicker was one of the best players. He shared the award for the best score on the top board. This was for his great play for the West German team. At the Tel Aviv Chess Olympiad in 1964, Unzicker scored 13.5 points. He played on the top board for West Germany. His team won the bronze medal, partly by beating the Soviet Union team 3-1.
Facing Chess Legends
In 1966, Unzicker shared fourth place at the Piatigorsky Cup in California. Only Boris Spassky, Bobby Fischer, and Bent Larsen finished ahead of him. He placed higher than the world champion at the time, Tigran Petrosian. At Hastings in 1969–70, Unzicker finished second. He was behind Lajos Portisch but ahead of former world champion Vasily Smyslov. In 1979, he finished second to Viktor Korchnoi in a tournament in South Africa.
Chess Style and Later Life
Wolfgang Unzicker played chess in a classical style. This means his game was very solid and well-planned. He was inspired by the German chess player and writer Siegbert Tarrasch. In 1956, he played a match against Paul Keres. In all eight games, both players started with the Ruy Lopez opening.
Unzicker was a retired judge. He continued to play chess as the top player for his club team, "Tarrasch Munich." In 2005, he celebrated his 80th birthday. A special tournament was held in his honor. Famous players like Anatoly Karpov, Viktor Korchnoi, and Boris Spassky played in it. Wolfgang Unzicker passed away on April 20, 2006, at age 80. He was on a holiday trip in Albufeira, Portugal.
Images for kids
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Wolfgang Unzicker, 1953
See also
