Fricis Apšenieks
Encyclopedia
Fricis Apšenieks (Apscheneek) (born 7 April 1894, Tetele
, Latvia – died 25 April 1941, Riga
, Latvia) was a Latvian chess
master.
, at Riga (1 st LAT–ch). In 1924, he won, ahead of Lazard, at Paris. In 1924, he took 2nd, behind Matisons, and followed by Edgar Colle, Arpad Vajda
, Max Euwe
, Anatol Tschepurnoff
, etc., at 1st FIDE World Amateur Championship
in Paris. In 1925, he won, ahead of Terrill, at Bromley. In 1925, he tied for 3rd-4th with Karel Hromadka
at Bromley (Premier–A). In 1925, he tied for 3rd-4th at Debrecen. In 1926, he tied for 3rd-4th at Abo. In 1926, he won at Helsinki. In 1926, he took 3rd, behind Vladimirs Petrovs
, and Teodors Bergs
at Riga. In 1926, Apšenieks won the Latvian Championship
at Riga. In 1927, he tied for 5th-7th at Kecskemét. In 1931, he took 6th at Klaipėda (1st Baltic–ch). The event was won by Isakas Vistaneckis
. In 1932, he tied for 3rd-5th at Riga Championship. In 1934, he tied for 1st with Petrovs at Riga (LAT–ch). In 1937, he tied for 11th-13th at Kemeri. In 1939, he tied for 11th-12th at Kemeri–Riga (Salo Flohr
won). In 1941, he took 2nd, behind Alexander Koblencs
, at Riga (1st Latvian SSR ch.).
Apšenieks played for Latvia at seven official Chess Olympiads: in 1928, 1930, 1931, 1933, 1935, 1937, and 1939. He also played in the unofficial Olympiad at Munich 1936.
During the first Soviet occupation of Latvia, he died of tuberculosis at the age of 47.
Tetele
Tetele is a village in Latvia, Ozolnieki municipality. The village located at Lielupe river approximately 39 km from the capital Riga and 8 km from city Jelgava....
, Latvia – died 25 April 1941, Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
, Latvia) was a Latvian chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
master.
Biography
In 1924, Apšenieks finished 2nd, behind Hermanis MatisonsHermanis Matisons
Hermanis Matisons , , was a Latvian chess player and one of world's most highly regarded chess masters in the early 1930s. He was also a leading endgame composer...
, at Riga (1 st LAT–ch). In 1924, he won, ahead of Lazard, at Paris. In 1924, he took 2nd, behind Matisons, and followed by Edgar Colle, Arpad Vajda
Árpád Vajda
Árpád Vajda was a Hungarian chess master.Vajda was Hungarian Champion in 1928....
, Max Euwe
Max Euwe
Machgielis Euwe was a Dutch chess Grandmaster, mathematician, and author. He was the fifth player to become World Chess Champion . Euwe also served as President of FIDE, the World Chess Federation, from 1970 to 1978.- Early years :Euwe was born in Watergraafsmeer, near Amsterdam...
, Anatol Tschepurnoff
Anatol Tschepurnoff
Anatol Tschepurnoff was a Russian–Finnish chess master....
, etc., at 1st FIDE World Amateur Championship
World Amateur Chess Championship
The World Amateur Chess Championship was a tournament organized by the World Chess Federation, FIDE.FIDE intended to promote amateur chess play by holding championship tournaments linked to the Olympic Games, but only two events were held....
in Paris. In 1925, he won, ahead of Terrill, at Bromley. In 1925, he tied for 3rd-4th with Karel Hromadka
Karel Hromádka
Karel Hromádka was a Czech chess player, two-time Czech champion, 1913 and 1921 ....
at Bromley (Premier–A). In 1925, he tied for 3rd-4th at Debrecen. In 1926, he tied for 3rd-4th at Abo. In 1926, he won at Helsinki. In 1926, he took 3rd, behind Vladimirs Petrovs
Vladimirs Petrovs
Vladimirs Petrovs or Vladimir Petrov was a Latvian chess master.He was born in Riga, Latvia. Though he learned the game of chess relatively late, at age thirteen, Petrovs made rapid progress. By 1926, at age 19, he won the Riga Championship and finish third in the national championship...
, and Teodors Bergs
Teodors Bergs
Teodors Bergs was a Latvian chess master.In 1926, he took 2nd, behind Vladimirs Petrovs, and shared 2nd, behind Fricis Apšenieks in Riga. He took 3rd at Riga 1930 . In 1932, he took 2nd, behind Petrovs, at the Riga championship.He shared 3rd, behind Paul Felix Schmidt and Paul Keres, at Tallinn ...
at Riga. In 1926, Apšenieks won the Latvian Championship
Latvian Chess Championship
-History:Professional level Latvian chess players have already appeared in the nineteenth century. They participated in chess tournaments and union congresses, organized by the Riga Chess Association. After the World War I, when Latvia became an independent country, official Latvian chess...
at Riga. In 1927, he tied for 5th-7th at Kecskemét. In 1931, he took 6th at Klaipėda (1st Baltic–ch). The event was won by Isakas Vistaneckis
Isakas Vistaneckis
Isakas Vistaneckis , a Jewish chess master from Lithuania.-Biography:...
. In 1932, he tied for 3rd-5th at Riga Championship. In 1934, he tied for 1st with Petrovs at Riga (LAT–ch). In 1937, he tied for 11th-13th at Kemeri. In 1939, he tied for 11th-12th at Kemeri–Riga (Salo Flohr
Salo Flohr
Salomon Mikhailovich Flohr was a leading Czech and later Soviet chess grandmaster of the mid-20th century, who became a national hero in Czechoslovakia during the 1930s. His name was used to sell many of the luxury products of the time, including Salo Flohr cigarettes, slippers and eau-de-cologne...
won). In 1941, he took 2nd, behind Alexander Koblencs
Alexander Koblencs
Alexander Koblents was a Latvian chess International Master, trainer, and writer.In 1935, he took 4th place in Rosas . In 1936, he took 5th in Reus . In 1937, he won, ahead of Lajos Steiner, in Brno with 9/11. In 1938, he took 5th in Milan...
, at Riga (1st Latvian SSR ch.).
Apšenieks played for Latvia at seven official Chess Olympiads: in 1928, 1930, 1931, 1933, 1935, 1937, and 1939. He also played in the unofficial Olympiad at Munich 1936.
- In July/August 1928, he played at first board at 2nd Chess Olympiad2nd Chess OlympiadThe 2nd Chess Olympiad, organized by the Fédération Internationale des Échecs and comprising an open and women's tournament, as well as several events designed to promote the game of chess, took place between July 21 and August 6, 1928 in The Hague, Netherlands.The final results were as...
in The HagueThe HagueThe Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
(+8 –7 =1). - In July 1930, he played at first board at 3rd Chess Olympiad3rd Chess OlympiadThe 3rd Chess Olympiad, organized by the FIDE and comprising an open and women's tournament, as well as several events designed to promote the game of chess, took place between July 13 and July 27, 1930, in Hamburg, Germany...
in HamburgHamburg-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
(+7 –6 =4). - In July 1931, he played at second board at 4th Chess Olympiad4th Chess OlympiadThe 4th Chess Olympiad, organized by the Fédération Internationale des Échecs and comprising an open and women's tournament, as well as several events designed to promote the game of chess, took place between July 11 and July 26, 1931, in Prague, Czechoslovakia...
in PraguePraguePrague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
(+8 –3 =5). - In July 1933, he played at first board at 5th Chess Olympiad5th Chess OlympiadThe 5th Chess Olympiad, organized by the FIDE and comprising an open and women's tournament, as well as several events designed to promote the game of chess, took place between July 12 and July 23, 1933, in Folkestone, United Kingdom...
in FolkestoneFolkestoneFolkestone is the principal town in the Shepway District of Kent, England. Its original site was in a valley in the sea cliffs and it developed through fishing and its closeness to the Continent as a landing place and trading port. The coming of the railways, the building of a ferry port, and its...
(+1 –6 =7). - In August 1935, he played at second board at 6th Chess Olympiad6th Chess OlympiadThe 6th Chess Olympiad, organized by the FIDE and comprising an open and women's tournament, as well as several events designed to promote the game of chess, took place between August 16 and August 31, 1935, in Warsaw, Poland...
in WarsawWarsawWarsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
(+6 –5 =7). - In August/September 1936, he played at second board at unofficial Olympiad in MunichMunichMunich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
(+7 –5 =6). - July/August 1937, he played at second board at 7th Chess Olympiad7th Chess OlympiadThe 7th Chess Olympiad, organized by the FIDE and comprising an open and women's tournament, as well as several events designed to promote the game of chess, took place between July 31 and August 14, 1937, in Stockholm, Sweden]....
in StockholmStockholmStockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
(+8 –4 =5). - In August/September 1939, he played at second board at 8th Chess Olympiad8th Chess OlympiadThe 8th Chess Olympiad, organised by the Fédération Internationale des Échecs , comprised an 'open' tournament, as well as a Women's World Championship contest...
in Buenos AiresBuenos AiresBuenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
(+5 –6 =8).
During the first Soviet occupation of Latvia, he died of tuberculosis at the age of 47.
Notable chess games
- Fricis Apšenieks vs Max Euwe (NED), Paris 1924, (ol) f-A, Four Knights, C49, 1-0
- Fricis Apšenieks vs Arthur William Dake (USA), Prague 1931, 4th Olympiad, Caro-Kann, Exchange Variation, B13, 1-0
- Gideon Stahlberg (SWE) vs Fricis Apšenieks, Folkestone 1933, 5th Olympiad, Queen's Gambit Declined, Slav, D11, 0-1
- Frank James Marshall (USA) vs Fricis Apšenieks, Warsaw 1935, 6th Olympiad, Queen's Gambit Accepted, D20, 0-1
- Fricis Apšenieks vs Salo Landau (NED), Kemeri 1937, Slav Defense, D12, 1-0
- Fricis Apšenieks vs Reuben Fine (USA), Stockholm 1937, 7th Olympiad, Four Knights, C49, 1-0