Karel Opočensky
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Karel Opočensky (born 7 February 1892, Most – died 16 November 1975, Prague) was a Czech chess master.
[edit] Biography
He was four-time Czech Champion (1927, 1928, 1938 and 1944). In 1919, he took 2nd, behind Schubert, in Prague (CSR-ch). In 1925, he tied for 3rd-4th in Paris (Alexander Alekhine won). In 1927, he won in Česke Budejovice (CSR-ch). In 1928, he won in Brno (CSR-ch). In 1935, he took 4th in Bad Nauheim (Efim Bogoljubow won). In 1935, he took 4th in Lodz (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 Opočensky played for Czechoslovakia four times in the Chess Olympiads.
- In 1931, he played at fourth board in 4th Olympiad in Prague (+7 –2 =4).
- In 1933, he played at fourth board in 5th Olympiad in Folkestone (+10 –0 =3).
- In 1935, he played at second board in 6th Olympiad in Warsaw (+5 –4 =6).
- In 1939, he played at first board in 8th Olympiad in Buenos Aires (+8 –5 =4).
He won individual gold and team silver medals at Folkestone 1933 and at Prague 1931, team bronze.
When WW II broke out, Opočensky, Jan Foltys and František Zita were playing for the Bohemia & Moravia team in Argentina. They chose to return home, whilst team-mates Jiři Pelikan and Karel Skalička elected to remain in South America).
In 1940, Opočensky took 2nd, behind Foltys, in Rakovnik (B&M-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 Munich (Europa Turnier), the event being won by Gösta Stoltz. In 1942, he tied for 4-5th in Prague (Duras Memorial) 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.
Awarded the IM title in 1950, he became an International Chess Arbiter in 1951.
