Chess legend Vlastimil Hort: A farewell to a great

Chess legend Vlastimil Hort: A farewell to a great

The chess world has lost one of its most outstanding protagonists. The Czech-German chess grandmaster died on May 12, 2025 Vlastimil Hort at the age of 81 in Eitorf, Germany, after suffering for a long time from diabetes complications. Hort is considered one of the strongest players of the 1960s and 1970s and is revered for his tireless commitment and extraordinary successes in chess.

Hort was born on January 12, 1944 in Kladno, then Czechoslovakia, and discovered his passion for chess at the age of five. In 1965 he achieved the title of Grandmaster and in 1968, during the Soviet invasion of his homeland, he decided to pursue a professional chess career. His exceptional skills led him to win several major tournaments, including Hastings 1967-68 and Skopje 1969, and to secure a place among the strongest non-Soviet players.

An unforgettable game

One of his most memorable games took place on March 29, 1970 against Lev Polugajewski during a tournament in Belgrade. In the first round of this encounter, Hort showed a brilliant game and won after 66 moves. The game began with the Alapin variation of the Sicilian opening and ended with a frustrating 1-0 for his opponents. The entire run of this game showcases Hort's strategic prowess and ability to survive under pressure on the team bench, which will have a long-lasting impact in the chess community.

His talent did not go unnoticed: Hort appeared at number 12 in the 1970 FIDE annual rating list and was consistently in the top twenty in the world throughout the 1970s, with highest rankings at numbers 6 and 7. Although he reached the Candidates Tournament in 1977 and played against Boris Spassky, he was defeated in the quarterfinals.

A life for chess

In his more than 60 years as a professional player, Hort took part in 14 Chess Olympiads, three of which he played for Germany. His contribution to the Czechoslovak team that won the silver medal at the 1982 Olympics is notable and gave him the opportunity to meet many talents in international chess. Many in the chess community also remember his impressive 1977, when he set a world record for a simultaneous event by playing against 636 opponents at the same time.

His charisma and knowledge also made him sought after as a chess commentator. For many years, Hort hosted a chess show on German television and also left his thoughts and memories in a book that will soon be published. In 2006 he celebrated winning the Senior World Chess 960 title.

With his death, Vlastimil Hort leaves behind a deep legacy in chess, marked by both his achievements and his tireless passion for the game. Numerous chess players and lovers remember him and let the legend of Vlastimil Hort live on. We are not only losing a great player, but also a person who was an inspiration to many. Young world reports on his funeral on May 24, 2025 and the sadness felt by his supporters and the entire chess world.