General Government chess championships (Schachmeisterschaft des Generalgouvernements) were Nazi tournaments held during World War II in occupied central Poland. Hans Frank, the Governor-General of General Government, was the patron of those tournaments because he was an avid chess player.[1][2]The competition began when he organized a chess congress in Kraków on 3 November 1940. Six months later Frank announced the establishment of a chess school under Chess grandmasters, Yefim Bogolyubov and Alexander Alekhine.[2]
Historical context
A number of Polish chess players were arrested in January 1940. Jewish players were killed by Germans, e.g. Dawid Przepiórka. Ethnic Poles didn't participate in the tournaments.[3][4]
Participants
- Alexander Alekhine Russia/France
- Efim Bogoljubow Ukraine/Germany
- Paul Felix Schmidt Estonia/Germany
- Klaus Junge Chile/Germany
- Karl Gilg Czechoslovakia/Germany
- Josef Lokvenc Austria/Germany
- Hans Müller Austria/Germany
- Wolfgang Weil Austria/Germany
- Paul Mross Poland/Germany
- Teodor Regedziński Poland/Germany
- Leon Tuhan-Baranowski Poland/Germany
- Fedir Bohatyrchuk Ukraine/Soviet Union
and other German players /Germany.
Regedziński played as Theodore Reger, and Tuhan-Baranowski as Lisse.
Kraków / Krynica / Warsaw 1940
The first General Government Championship was held in Kraków, Krynica and Warsaw in 3–17 November 1940.[5]
# Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Total 1 Anton Kohler x ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 0 7½ 2 Efim Bogoljubow ½ x ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 7½ 3 Kurt Richter ½ ½ x ½ 1 ½ 0 1 1 1 ½ ½ 7 4 Josef Lokvenc ½ ½ ½ x 1 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 6 5 Paul Mross ½ 1 0 0 x 1 1 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 5½ 6 Hans Müller 0 ½ ½ 1 0 x ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 5½ 7 Max Blümich 0 0 1 ½ 0 ½ x 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 5½ 8 Carl Ahues ½ 0 0 1 1 ½ 0 x ½ ½ 1 ½ 5½ 9 Karl Gilg 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ x ½ ½ ½ 4½ 10 Georg Kieninger 0 0 0 0 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ x 0 1 4 11 Ludwig Rellstab 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 0 0 ½ 1 x 1 4 12 Max Eisinger 1 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 0 x 3½
Kraków / Warsaw 1941
The second General Government Championship was held in Kraków and Warsaw in 5–19 October 1941.[6]
# Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Total 1 Alexander Alekhine x 1 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 8½ 2 Paul Felix Schmidt 0 x 1 ½ 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 8½ 3 Efim Bogoljubow 0 0 x ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 7½ 4 Klaus Junge ½ ½ ½ x ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 7 5 Josef Lokvenc ½ 0 ½ ½ x 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 5½ 6 Teodor Regedziński 0 0 0 0 1 x 0 1 0 1 1 1 5 7 Georg Kieninger 0 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 x ½ 0 ½ 0 0 4½ 8 Eduard Hahn ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ x 1 1 ½ 0 4½ 9 Max Blümich 0 0 0 0 ½ 1 1 0 x ½ 1 ½ 4½ 10 Carl Carls ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ x 1 0 3½ 11 Heinz Nowarra ½ 0 0 ½ 0 0 1 ½ 0 0 x 1 3½ 12 Paul Mross 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 ½ 1 0 x 3½
Warsaw / Lublin / Kraków 1942
The third General Government Championship was held in Warsaw, Lublin and Kraków in 11–24 October 1942.[7]
# Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Total 1 Alexander Alekhine x 1 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 1 7½ 2 Klaus Junge 0 x ½ ½ 1 1 0 ½ 1 1 1 6½ 3 Efim Bogoljubow 1 ½ x 1 ½ 1 1 0 ½ 0 ½ 6 4 Fritz Sämisch ½ ½ 0 x 1 0 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 5½ 5 Rudolf Keller ½ 0 ½ 0 x 1 0 1 ½ 1 1 5½ 6 Georg Kieninger ½ 0 0 1 0 x 1 0 ½ 1 1 5 7 Alfred Brinckmann 0 1 0 0 1 0 x ½ ½ 1 ½ 4½ 8 Werner Kunerth 0 ½ 1 ½ 0 1 ½ x ½ 0 0 4 9 Wolfgang Weil 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ x 0 1 4 10 Hans Roepstorff 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 x 1 4 11 Hans Zollner 0 0 ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 1 0 0 x 2½
Krynica 1943
The fourth General Government Championship was held in Krynica in 25 November–5 December 1943.[8]
# Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Total 1 Josef Lokvenc x 0 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 7½ 2 Wilhelm Kuppe 1 x 0 ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 ½ 6½ 3 Efim Bogoljubow ½ 1 x 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 6½ 4 Georg Klaus 0 ½ 1 x 1 0 0 0 1 1 4½ 5 Leon Tuhan-Baranowski 0 ½ ½ 0 x 0 0 1 1 1 4 6 Hans Roepstorff 0 0 0 1 1 x 1 0 1 1 4 7 Edith Keller 0 0 ½ 1 1 0 x 0 0 1 3½ 8 Heinz Nowarra 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 x 0 ½ 3½ 9 Egon Gilles 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 x 0 3 10 Franz Herzog 0 ½ 0 0 0 0 0 ½ 1 x 2
Radom 1944
The fifth General Government Championship was held in Radom in February 1944.[9]
# Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Total 1 Efim Bogoljubow x ½ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 8½ 2 Fedir Bohatyrchuk ½ x ½ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 8 3 Hans Roepstorff 0 ½ x 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 7½ 4 Leon Tuhan-Baranowski 0 0 0 x ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 5 5 Franz Herzog 0 0 0 ½ x 0 1 1 1 1 4½ 6 Planck 0 0 0 ½ 1 x 0 1 1 1 4½ 7 Heinz Nowarra 0 0 0 0 0 1 x 1 1 1 4 8 Probst 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 x 1 1 2 9 Sänger 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 x 1 1 10 Meckel 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 x 0