Luděk Pachman

Luděk Pachman (; 11 May 1924 – 6 March 2003) was a Czech-German chess grandmaster, chess writer, and political activist. he was allowed to emigrate to West Germany. He lived the remainder of his life there, and resumed his chess career with considerable success, including playing in the Interzonal in 1976 and winning the West German Championship in 1978.

Career Pachman's first chess championship came in 1940, when he became champion of the nearby village of Cista (population 900). The first break in his chess career came in 1943, when he was invited to an international tournament in Prague. World Champion Alexander Alekhine dominated the event, with Paul Keres taking second place. Pachman finished ninth in the nineteen-player tournament. Alekhine paid him a compliment in an article in the Frankfurter Zeitung and from the fifth round on, invited him every evening to analyze games and opening variations. Pachman wrote: "I don't have to tell you how a beginner from a village chess club felt at that time."

Pachman went on to become one of the world's leading players. He finished tied for second in the first European Zonal tournament, Hilversum 1947, advancing to the first Interzonal the next year. He defeated the future world champion Mikhail Botvinnik at the 1947 Chigorin Memorial in Moscow; however, Botvinnik went on to win the event.

He was awarded the International Master title in 1950 and the Grandmaster title in 1954, as FIDE formalized the process for international chess titles.

He won fifteen international tournaments, but considered sharing second place in Havana 1963, with Mikhail Tal and Efim Geller, behind Viktor Korchnoi, his best tournament result. Pachman won the Czechoslovak championship seven times between 1946 and 1966. He became the champion of West Germany in 1978. He played in six Interzonal tournaments between Saltsjöbaden 1948 and Manila 1976, with his most successful being falling a half-point short of Candidates qualification at Portoroz 1958. He represented Czechoslovakia in eight consecutive Chess Olympiads from 1952 through 1966, usually playing .

The most successful year of his career was 1959. After winning the Czechoslovak championship he went on a South American tour, winning tournaments in Mar del Plata (tied with Miguel Najdorf); Santiago, Chile (tied with Borislav Ivkov); and Lima, Peru (again tied with Ivkov). Pachman attacks his opponent's castled king, offering the sacrifice of both bishops. His opponent declines the second bishop, and could have continued the game with 25...Qh7, but it is not easy to find such moves in the limited time. Pachman was a good practical player and knew well where it pays to take a risk in the game.