Karel Opocenský
Encyclopedia
Karel Opočenský was a Czech chess master
.
, in Prague (Czechoslovak Chess Championship
). In 1925, he tied for 3rd-4th in Paris (Alexander Alekhine
won). In 1927, he won in Česke Budějovice (CSR-ch). In 1928, he won in Brno (CSR-ch). In 1933, he won at Prague (the 10th Vaclav Kautsky Memorial). In 1935, he took 4th in Bad Nauheim (Efim Bogoljubow
won).
In 1935, he took 4th in Łódź (Savielly Tartakower
won). In 1935, he won in Luhačovice. In 1936, he took 2nd, behind Henryk Friedman
, in Vienna. In 1937, he took 2 nd, behind Karl Gilg
, in Teplice (Teplitz Schönau). In 1938, he won in Nice. In 1938, he tied for 1st with Hermann in Prague (CSR-ch).
Karel Opočenský played for Czechoslovakia four times in the Chess Olympiads.
He won individual gold and team silver medals at Folkestone 1933 and at Prague 1931, team bronze.
When World War II broke out, Opočensky, Jan Foltys
, and František Zíta
were playing for the Bohemia & Moravia
team in the 8th Chess Olympiad
in Argentina. They chose to return home, whilst team-mates Jiří Pelikán and Karel Skalička
elected to remain in South America.
In 1940, Opočensky took 2nd, behind Foltys, in Rakovnik (Bohemia and Moravia-ch
). In 1941, he drew a match with Foltys in Prague (+4 –4 =4) and took 7th in Trenčianske Teplice
(Foltys won). He also placed 13th in the Munich 1941 chess tournament
(Europa Turnier), the event being won by Gösta Stoltz
. In 1942, he tied for 4-5th in Prague (Duras Jubileé) behind joint winners, Alekhine and Klaus Junge
. In 1943, he took 3rd in Prague (B&M-ch; Zita won). In 1944, he won in Brunn (B&M-ch).
After the war, he played in several international and local (Czechoslovakia) tournaments. In 1945, he tied for 2nd-3rd, behind Emil Richter
, in Prague. In 1946, he took 4th in Ostrava (CSR-ch; Luděk Pachman
won). In 1946, he took 4th in London. In 1946, he tied for 1st with Daniel Yanofsky
and Pachman, in Arbon. In 1947, he took 4th in Vienna. In 1949, he tied for 3rd-6th in Vienna. In 1949, he tied for 4-5th in Arbon. In 1956, he took 3rd in Poděbrady (CSR-ch, Ladislav Alster won).
In 1951 and 1954, he was the chief arbiter for the World Chess Championship
matches in Moscow, and also in the 10th Olympiad at Helsinki 1952, and in the 2nd Candidates Tournament at Zurich 1953.
Opočenský is also known as a theoretician. There are two opening variations named after him: the Opocensky Variation in the Grünfeld Defence
(1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.e3 Bg7 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Bd2) and the Opocensky Variation in the Sicilian Defence
(1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2).
Awarded the IM title in 1950, he became an International Chess Arbiter in 1951.
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....
.
Biography
He was four-time Czech Champion (1927, 1928, 1938, and 1944). In 1919, he took 2nd, behind František SchubertFrantišek Schubert
František Schubert was a Czech chess master.Before World War I, he took 4th at Pilsen 1911 , played at Böhmisch Trübau 1913, and took 7th at Jungbunzlau 1913 .In 1915, he took 5th in Vienna František Schubert (27 April 1894, Mladá Boleslav – December 1940) was a Czech chess master.Before World...
, in Prague (Czechoslovak Chess Championship
Czechoslovak Chess Championship
The Czechoslovak National Chess Championship was the chess competition, which has determined the best Czechoslovak chess player.- History :First Czechoslovak championships were held in Prague in year 1919...
). In 1925, he tied for 3rd-4th in Paris (Alexander Alekhine
Alexander Alekhine
Alexander Alexandrovich Alekhine was the fourth World Chess Champion. He is often considered one of the greatest chess players ever.By the age of twenty-two, he was already among the strongest chess players in the world. During the 1920s, he won most of the tournaments in which he played...
won). In 1927, he won in Česke Budějovice (CSR-ch). In 1928, he won in Brno (CSR-ch). In 1933, he won at Prague (the 10th Vaclav Kautsky Memorial). In 1935, he took 4th in Bad Nauheim (Efim Bogoljubow
Efim Bogoljubow
Efim Dmitriyevich Bogolyubov was a Russo-German chess grandmaster who won numerous events and played two matches with Alexander Alekhine for the world championship.-Early career:...
won).
In 1935, he took 4th in Łódź (Savielly Tartakower
Savielly Tartakower
Ksawery Tartakower was a leading Polish and French chess Grandmaster. He was also a leading chess journalist of the 1920s and 30s...
won). In 1935, he won in Luhačovice. In 1936, he took 2nd, behind Henryk Friedman
Henryk Friedman
Henryk Friedman was a Polish chess master.He lived in Lvov . In 1926–1934, Friedman won seven times in succession the Championship of Lvov but 1930, when he took 2nd place behind Stepan Popel. Friedman played in four Polish championships. In 1926, he took 14th in Warsaw . The event was won by...
, in Vienna. In 1937, he took 2 nd, behind Karl Gilg
Karl Gilg
Karl Gilg was a German chess International Master from Czechoslovakia.Gilg played for Czechoslovakia in several Chess Olympiads....
, in Teplice (Teplitz Schönau). In 1938, he won in Nice. In 1938, he tied for 1st with Hermann in Prague (CSR-ch).
Karel Opočenský played for Czechoslovakia four times in the Chess Olympiads.
- In 1931, he played at fourth board in 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...
(+7 –2 =4). - In 1933, he played at fourth board in 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...
(+10 –0 =3). - In 1935, he played at second board in 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...
(+5 –4 =6). - In 1939, he played at first board in 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...
(+8 –5 =4).
He won individual gold and team silver medals at Folkestone 1933 and at Prague 1931, team bronze.
When World War II broke out, Opočensky, Jan Foltys
Jan Foltys
Jan Foltys , was a Czech chess International Master.-Biography:...
, and František Zíta
František Zíta
František Zíta was a Czech chess master who was born and died in Prague.Zíta played for Czechoslovakia in Chess Olympiads:* In 1937, at first reserve board in 7th Chess Olympiad in Stockholm ;...
were playing for the Bohemia & Moravia
Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia was the majority ethnic-Czech protectorate which Nazi Germany established in the central parts of Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia in what is today the Czech Republic...
team in the 8th Chess Olympiad
8th Chess Olympiad
The 8th Chess Olympiad, organised by the Fédération Internationale des Échecs , comprised an 'open' tournament, as well as a Women's World Championship contest...
in Argentina. They chose to return home, whilst team-mates Jiří Pelikán and Karel Skalička
Karel Skalicka
Karel Skalička was a Czech–Argentine chess master.In 1924, he won a team gold medal for Czechoslovakia in the 1st unofficial Chess Olympiad in Paris. He took 3rd in group eliminations , and tied for 21-31st in the major tournament...
elected to remain in South America.
In 1940, Opočensky took 2nd, behind Foltys, in Rakovnik (Bohemia and Moravia-ch
Czech Chess Championship
The Czech National Chess Championship is the chess competition, which determines the best Czech Republic chess player.-History:First national championships were held before founding of independent Czechoslovakia as the championships of Bohemia every second year between 1905 and 1913...
). In 1941, he drew a match with Foltys in Prague (+4 –4 =4) and took 7th in Trenčianske Teplice
Trencianske Teplice
Trenčianske Teplice is a health resort and small spa town in western Slovakia, in the valley of the river Teplička, at the foothills of the Strážovské vrchy mountains.-Characteristics:...
(Foltys won). He also placed 13th in the Munich 1941 chess tournament
Munich 1941 chess tournament
The second Europaturnier was held in Munich in 8-14 September 1941. The event was organised by Ehrhardt Post, the Chief Executive of Nazi Grossdeutscher Schachbund. Max Euwe had declined the invitation for München 1941 due to his "occupational obligations", as manager of a groceries business...
(Europa Turnier), the event being won by Gösta Stoltz
Gösta Stoltz
-Biography:Stoltz played a few matches with strong chess masters. In 1926, he lost to Mikhail Botvinnik at a team match Stockholm – Leningrad in Stockholm. In 1927, he drew with Allan Nilsson in Göteborg . In 1930, he won against Isaac Kashdan in Stockholm. In 1930, he lost to Rudolf Spielmann ...
. In 1942, he tied for 4-5th in Prague (Duras Jubileé) behind joint winners, Alekhine and Klaus Junge
Klaus Junge
Klaus Junge was one of the youngest German chess masters.-Biography:...
. In 1943, he took 3rd in Prague (B&M-ch; Zita won). In 1944, he won in Brunn (B&M-ch).
After the war, he played in several international and local (Czechoslovakia) tournaments. In 1945, he tied for 2nd-3rd, behind Emil Richter
Emil Richter
Emil Richter was a Czech chess master who was born and died in Prague. He won the Czech Chess Championship in 1948 and was awarded the International Master title in 1951. Richter played in the unofficial 1936 Chess Olympiad....
, in Prague. In 1946, he took 4th in Ostrava (CSR-ch; Luděk Pachman
Ludek Pachman
Luděk Pachman was a Czechoslovak-German chess grandmaster, chess writer, and political activist. In 1972, after being imprisoned and tortured almost to death by the Communist regime in Czechoslovakia, he was allowed to emigrate to West Germany...
won). In 1946, he took 4th in London. In 1946, he tied for 1st with Daniel Yanofsky
Daniel Yanofsky
Daniel Abraham Yanofsky, OC, QC was Canada's first chess grandmaster, an eight-time Canadian Chess Champion, a chess writer, a chess arbiter, and a lawyer.-Life in chess:...
and Pachman, in Arbon. In 1947, he took 4th in Vienna. In 1949, he tied for 3rd-6th in Vienna. In 1949, he tied for 4-5th in Arbon. In 1956, he took 3rd in Poděbrady (CSR-ch, Ladislav Alster won).
In 1951 and 1954, he was the chief arbiter for the World Chess Championship
World Chess Championship
The World Chess Championship is played to determine the World Champion in the board game chess. Men and women of any age are eligible to contest this title....
matches in Moscow, and also in the 10th Olympiad at Helsinki 1952, and in the 2nd Candidates Tournament at Zurich 1953.
Opočenský is also known as a theoretician. There are two opening variations named after him: the Opocensky Variation in the Grünfeld Defence
Grünfeld Defence
The Grünfeld Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:-History:The first instance of this opening is in an 1855 game by Moheschunder Bannerjee, an Indian player who had transitioned from Indian chess rules, playing black against John Cochrane in Calcutta, in May 1855: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4...
(1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.e3 Bg7 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Bd2) and the Opocensky Variation in the Sicilian Defence
Sicilian Defence
The Sicilian Defence is a chess opening that begins with the moves:The Sicilian is the most popular and best-scoring response to White's first move 1.e4...
(1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2).
Awarded the IM title in 1950, he became an International Chess Arbiter in 1951.