Erno Gereben
Encyclopedia
Ernő Gereben was a Hungarian
–Swiss
chess master
whose half-century career extended from the mid-1920s to the late 1970s.
Born in Sopron
, a Hungarian town at the Austria
n border, Ernő Gereben used, until 1935, the German-language form of his name, Ernest (or Ernst) Grünfeld. In 1926, he tied for 1st–2nd in Körmend
. In 1928, he won in Šumperk
. In 1930, he took 5th in Budapest
and tied for 7–8th in Györ
. In 1932, he took 7th in Budapest
. In 1934, he tied for 5–7th in Sopron (Rudolf Spielmann
won). In 1934, he tied for 13–14th in Budapest (Maróczy Jubilee), which was won by Erich Eliskases
. In 1935 he tied for 2nd–3rd with Albert Becker, behind László Szabó
, in Tata-Tóváros
. In 1936, he took 4th, behind Mieczysław Najdorf, Lajos Steiner
and Endre Steiner
in Budapest.
Following World War II
, Gereben played in several Hungarian Chess Championship
s. In 1947, he won team gold medal and individual silver medal at sixth board in the 2nd Balkan Games in Sofia
. In 1947, he took 7th in Vienna
(2nd Schlechter Memorial; Szabó won). In 1948, he took 5th in Bad Gastein
(Erik Lundin
won). In 1951, he won in Sopot
. In 1952, he took 15th in Budapest (Paul Keres
won).
Due to the Hungarian uprising in 1956, Gereben emigrated to Switzerland
and began playing extensively in the west. In 1957, he took 2nd, behind Gedeon Barcza
, in San Benedetto del Tronto
. In 1958/59, he took 3rd in Hastings
. In 1959, he tied for 1st in Bognor Regis
. In 1960, he tied for 4-5th in Zurich
. In 1963/64, he tied for 1st-4th in Reggio Emilia
. In 1967, he tied for 2nd-5th in Amsterdam
(Master Tournament). In 1969, he took 4th in Monte Carlo
(Master Tournament).
Gereben played four times in the Chess Olympiad
s; once for Hungary at first reserve board (+6 −3 =6) in the 11th Olympiad at Amsterdam 1954, and thrice for Switzerland; at third board (+5 −4 =7) at Siegen
1970, at second reserve (+3 −5 =5) at Skopje
1972, and at first reserve board (+3 –3 =7) at Nice
1974.
He remained a keen player in his adopted country even into his seventies. The British Chess Magazine
editor, Bernard Cafferty, described him as "a delightfully friendly personality, rather different to many of the continental masters of that time. Chess was fun for him, not just a way to make a living."
Gereben was awarded the International Master (IM) title in 1950. He died in Switzerland in the year of his 81st birthday.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
–Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
chess master
Chess master
A chess master is a chess player of such skill that he/she can usually beat chess experts, who themselves typically prevail against most amateurs. Among chess players, the term is often abbreviated to master, the meaning being clear from context....
whose half-century career extended from the mid-1920s to the late 1970s.
Born in Sopron
Sopron
In 1910 Sopron had 33,932 inhabitants . Religions: 64.1% Roman Catholic, 27.8% Lutheran, 6.6% Jewish, 1.2% Calvinist, 0.3% other. In 2001 the city had 56,125 inhabitants...
, a Hungarian town at the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n border, Ernő Gereben used, until 1935, the German-language form of his name, Ernest (or Ernst) Grünfeld. In 1926, he tied for 1st–2nd in Körmend
Körmend
-Places of interest:The town is especially well known for its castle which used to belong to the Batthyany family, one of the most important aristocrat families of Hungary. Blessed Ladislaus Batthyány-Strattmann , a famous ophthalmologist who was beatified by the Catholic Church, lived in the...
. In 1928, he won in Šumperk
Šumperk
Šumperk is a town and district in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It is called "The Gate to Jeseníky mountains."- History :Šumperk was founded by German colonists in 1269. The German name Schönberg means "beautiful hill", and the name Šumperk is a Czech garbling of the original German...
. In 1930, he took 5th in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
and tied for 7–8th in Györ
Gyor
-Climate:-Main sights:The ancient core of the city is Káptalan Hill at the confluence of three rivers: the Danube, Rába and Rábca. Püspökvár, the residence of Győr’s bishops can be easily recognised by its incomplete tower. Győr’s oldest buildings are the 13th-century dwelling tower and the...
. In 1932, he took 7th in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
. In 1934, he tied for 5–7th in Sopron (Rudolf Spielmann
Rudolf Spielmann
Rudolf Spielmann was an Austrian-Jewish chess player of the romantic school, and chess writer.-Career:He was a lawyer but never worked as one....
won). In 1934, he tied for 13–14th in Budapest (Maróczy Jubilee), which was won by Erich Eliskases
Erich Eliskases
Erich Gottlieb Eliskases was a chess Grandmaster of the 1930s and 1940s, who represented Austria, Germany and Argentina in international competition....
. In 1935 he tied for 2nd–3rd with Albert Becker, behind László Szabó
László Szabó (chess player)
László Szabó was a prominent Hungarian Grandmaster of chess.Born in Budapest, he burst onto the international chess scene in 1935, at the unusually young age of 18...
, in Tata-Tóváros
Tata, Hungary
Tata is a town in north-western Hungary, Komárom-Esztergom county, northwest from county seat Tatabánya.-Location:Tata is located in the valley between the Gerecse and Vértes Mountains, some from the Budapest, the capital. By the virtue of its location, the city is a railway and road junction...
. In 1936, he took 4th, behind Mieczysław Najdorf, Lajos Steiner
Lajos Steiner
Lajos Steiner was a Hungarian–born Australian chess master.Steiner was one of four children of Bernat Steiner, a mathematics teacher, and his wife Cecilia,, and a younger brother of Endre Steiner...
and Endre Steiner
Endre Steiner
Endre Steiner was a Hungarian chess player.Endre Steiner played for Hungary in five official and one unofficial Chess Olympiads.* In 1927, he played at first reserve board at 1st Chess Olympiad in London ....
in Budapest.
Following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Gereben played in several Hungarian Chess Championship
Hungarian Chess Championship
The inaugural Hungarian Chess Championship was held in the city of Győr in 1906. Initially, there was no governing body responsible for its organisation, until the formation of the Hungarian Chess Federation. The HCF first appeared in 1911, but failed to establish itself properly until 1923...
s. In 1947, he won team gold medal and individual silver medal at sixth board in the 2nd Balkan Games in Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
. In 1947, he took 7th in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
(2nd Schlechter Memorial; Szabó won). In 1948, he took 5th in Bad Gastein
Bad Gastein
Bad Gastein is a spa town in the Austrian state of Salzburg, situated at the northern rim of the Hohe Tauern national park. It has 5,838 inhabitants. The name "Bad" means "spa", reflecting the town's history as a health resort. It is located at the head of the Gastein valley, about 1,000 metres ...
(Erik Lundin
Erik Lundin
Erik Lundin a Swedish chess master.In 1928, he won in Oslo, took 5th in Helsingborg, tied for 2nd-3rd in Stockholm . In 1929, he took 2nd in Göteborg , and took 3rd in Västerås...
won). In 1951, he won in Sopot
Sopot
Sopot is a seaside town in Eastern Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland, with a population of approximately 40,000....
. In 1952, he took 15th in Budapest (Paul Keres
Paul Keres
Paul Keres , was an Estonian chess grandmaster, and a renowned chess writer. He was among the world's top players from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s....
won).
Due to the Hungarian uprising in 1956, Gereben emigrated to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and began playing extensively in the west. In 1957, he took 2nd, behind Gedeon Barcza
Gedeon Barcza
Gedeon Barcza was a Hungarian chess master.In 1940, Barcza took third place, behind Max Euwe and Milan Vidmar, at Maróczy Jubiläum in Budapest. In September 1942, he took sixth place at the first European Championship in Munich; the event was won by Alexander Alekhine...
, in San Benedetto del Tronto
San Benedetto del Tronto
San Benedetto del Tronto is a city and comune in Marche, Italy, in the province of Ascoli Piceno. It lies on the Adriatic Sea. San Benedetto del Tronto is an important little town on the Marche coast, an active fishing port and one of the main seaside resorts on the central Adriatic coast.Located...
. In 1958/59, he took 3rd in Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
. In 1959, he tied for 1st in Bognor Regis
Bognor Regis
Bognor Regis is a seaside resort town and civil parish in the Arun district of West Sussex, on the south coast of England. It is south-south-west of London, west of Brighton, and south-east of the city of Chichester. Other nearby towns include Littlehampton east-north-east and Selsey to the...
. In 1960, he tied for 4-5th in Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
. In 1963/64, he tied for 1st-4th in Reggio Emilia
Reggio Emilia chess tournament
The Reggio Emilia chess tournament is a chess tournament played in Reggio Emilia, Italy. In Italian the tournament is called Torneo di Capodanno , as it starts just after Christmas and ends on the day of Epiphany...
. In 1967, he tied for 2nd-5th in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
(Master Tournament). In 1969, he took 4th in Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
(Master Tournament).
Gereben played four times in the Chess Olympiad
Chess Olympiad
The Chess Olympiad is a biennial chess tournament in which teams from all over the world compete against each other. The event is organised by FIDE, which selects the host nation.-Birth of the Olympiad:The first Olympiad was unofficial...
s; once for Hungary at first reserve board (+6 −3 =6) in the 11th Olympiad at Amsterdam 1954, and thrice for Switzerland; at third board (+5 −4 =7) at Siegen
Siegen
Siegen is a city in Germany, in the south Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia.It is located in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein in the Arnsberg region...
1970, at second reserve (+3 −5 =5) at Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
1972, and at first reserve board (+3 –3 =7) at Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
1974.
He remained a keen player in his adopted country even into his seventies. The British Chess Magazine
British Chess Magazine
British Chess Magazine is the world's oldest chess magazine in continuous publication. First published in January 1881, it has appeared at monthly intervals ever since. It is frequently known in the chess world as BCM....
editor, Bernard Cafferty, described him as "a delightfully friendly personality, rather different to many of the continental masters of that time. Chess was fun for him, not just a way to make a living."
Gereben was awarded the International Master (IM) title in 1950. He died in Switzerland in the year of his 81st birthday.