Lothar Schmid

Lothar Maximilian Lorenz Schmid (10 May 1928 – 18 May 2013) was a German chess grandmaster. He was born in Radebeul in Saxony into a family who were the co-owners of the Karl May Press, which published the German Karl May adventure novels.

He was best known as the chief arbiter at several World Chess Championship matches, in particular the 1972 encounter between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky at Reykjavík. He was also an avid collector of chess books and paraphernalia. It was reputed that he owned the largest known private chess library in the world, as well as a renowned collection of chess art, chessboards and chess pieces from around the globe.

Playing career

German championships In 1941, at the age of 13, Schmid won the Dresden chess championship which marked the beginning of his chess career. In 1943, he took second place in Vienna (German Juniors Championship). In June 1947, he tied for first place with Gerhard Pfeiffer in Wiessenfels (SBZ-ch). In April 1948, he tied for second place in Celle when Carl Ahues won. In September 1948, he tied for fourth place at the full German Chess Championship (12th GER-ch) in Essen. The event was won by Wolfgang Unzicker. In May 1949, he took third place in Bad Pyrmont (13th GER-ch). The event was won by Efim Bogoljubow. In August 1949, he tied for first place in Grossröhrsdorf. In October 1955, he was second behind Klaus Darga in Hoechst (third FRG-ch), having won a qualifying event in Nuremberg the same year. In October 1959, he took second place, behind Unzicker, in Nuremberg (5th FRG-ch).

International tournaments and matches

In 1950, he drew a match with Wade in Bamberg, 4–4. In 1951, he won in Travemünde. In 1951–52, he took third place in Hastings (Svetozar Gligorić won). In 1953, he tied for second place behind Esteban Canal in Venice. In 1954, he won in Zürich and at Bad Kissingen. In 1956, he won in Gothenburg. In 1957, he held the fourth place in Dublin; a zonal qualifier tournament won by Luděk Pachman. In 1961, he tied for fourth place in Zürich. In 1963, he tied for second place in Málaga. In 1964, he won the South African Open, held in "The Wilderness". In 1968 in his home town of Bamberg, In 1950, at second board at the 9th Olympiad in Dubrovnik (+7−1=4) In 1952, at second board at the 10th Olympiad in Helsinki (+7−1=4) In 1954, at second board at the 11th Olympiad in Amsterdam (+6−4=3) In 1956, at second board at the 12th Olympiad in Moscow (+4−2=7) In 1958, at third board at the 13th Olympiad in Munich (+6−3=4) In 1960, at second board at the 14th Olympiad in Leipzig (+7−2=5) In 1962, at third board at the 15th Olympiad in Varna (+4−2=2) In 1964, at third board in at the 16th Olympiad Tel Aviv (+7−2=5) In 1968, at second board in at the 18th Olympiad Lugano (+6−0=6) In 1970, at second board in at the 19th Olympiad Siegen (+7−1=4) In 1974, at first board in at the 21st Olympiad Nice (+5−3=7)

Team competitions He won four individual silver medals (1950, 1952, 1968, 1970) and two team bronze medals (1950, 1964).

Notable games Schmid vs. Walter Sahlmann, Essen 1948, 12th GER-ch, Sicilian, Chameleon, B20, 1–0 Efim Bogoljubow vs. Schmid, Bad Pyrmont 1949, 13th GER-ch, Scotch Game, Schmid Gambit, C47, 0–1 Desperado piece! Schmid vs. Herman Steiner (USA), Dubrovnik 1950, 9th Olympiad, Sicilian, O'Kelly Variation, B28, 1–0 Juan Carlos Gonzales Zamora (CUB) vs. Schmid, Helsinki 1952, 10th Olympiad, English Opening, King's English Variation, Reversed Sicilian, A21, 0–1 Classical ending mastery. Schmid vs. Paul Keres (URS), Tel Aviv 1964, 16th Olympiad, Ruy Lopez, Closed, C92, 1–0 After a long and exhausting battle White broke down Black's resistance. Grantel Gibbs (HKG) vs. Schmid, Lugano 1968, 18th Olympiad, Alekhine's Defense, B02, 0–1 Shortest decisive game of the Olympiad. Schmid vs. Bent Larsen, San Juan 1969, Sicilian, Richter–Rauzer Variation, B60, 1–0 Schmid vs. Anton Kinzel (AUT), Siegen 1970, 19th Olympiad, Russian Game, Modern Attack, C43, 1–0 Best game prize winner.