6/4/2025 – Eight days ago, on Saturday, 24 May, the funeral service for Grand Master Vlastimil Hort, who passed away on 12 May, took place in Eitorf. His wife, Brigitte; his son; his grandson; and his friends and relatives said goodbye to this kind-hearted man. One fan expressed his grief by posting a song on YouTube.
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With his charming personality and love of meeting new people, the German-Czech chess grandmaster Vlastimil Hort promoted the game like no other. Blessed with boundless talent, he rose to the top of the world rankings in the 1960s and took part in countless top tournaments, and during his peak even qualified for the Candidates Matches.
However, Vlastimil Hort also saw it as his special duty to showcase his talent in as many simultaneous performances around the world as possible, in order to exchange ideas with chess enthusiasts and promote the game.
He became popular in Germany thanks to a chess TV programme, and probably also in Czechoslovakia, which he left in the mid-1980s for political reasons. There is probably no chess fan in either country who did not know Vlastimil Hort, and who did not love him for his friendly manner and mischievous Bohemian humour.
On 24 May, a small circle of friends and relatives gathered in the chapel of the cemetery in Eitorf to say goodbye to Vlastimil Hort, who had suffered greatly from diabetes in the last years of his life.
Numerous obituaries by chess enthusiasts and organisations paid tribute to the great Vlastimil Hort and honoured his achievements. An unknown chess enthusiast wrote and composed an apt song about their chess idol, which undoubtedly struck a chord with many fans.
Transcript:
A Kladno boy, just five, laid low, In a hospital bed, time dragged slow, Doc brought a board, taught the knight’s way, Moves stuck deep, sparked a new day. That little kid, he grabbed the fight, Chased the squares, burned day to night.
Kladno’s kid, with a heart so true, Pushed through the dark, saw it all through, Chess in his hands, a life hard-won, Vlastimil’s road, still ain’t done. Six times he ruled his home’s own game, Took on big names, earned his place, Soviet chill, he brought his flame, Stood his ground, set his pace. Spassky met him, a tough, tight scrap, Gave him a breather, bridged the gap.
Kladno’s kid, with a heart so true, Pushed through the dark, saw it all through, Chess in his hands, a life hard-won, Vlastimil’s road, still ain’t done. Left a land locked tight in fear, Slipped to Germany, made it his own, Six hundred players, one wild cheer, Laughed as the crowd’s roar grown. Spun his stories, grinned ear to ear, Lit up our nights, brought us near. Carried his fight, a quiet might, Through every loss, he held on tight, A gentle guy, sharp as a blade, Built a name that won’t ever fade. From sickbed start to a master’s run, Hort’s own light outshone the sun.
Kladno’s kid, with a heart so true, Pushed through the dark, saw it all through, Chess in his hands, a life hard-won, Vlastimil’s road, still ain’t done. Eitorf held him, his rest came round, Eighty-one, laid gentle down, Left us his moves, his tales, his spark, A brother’s warmth, a lasting mark. Kladno’s kid, through all he did, Vlastimil leaves, our chessboard kid.
5/13/2025 – 2025 is a year of farewells. After Robert Huebner, another great player and outstanding personality in the world of chess has passed away: Vlastimil Hort. Vlastimil Hort was one of the best players in the world in the 1970s. After moving to Germany he entertained television viewers with his subtle humour on the programme 'Schach der Großmeister'. | Photo: Alina l'Ami
1/12/2024 – Today, legendary Grandmaster Vlastimil Hort celebrates his 80th birthday. A long stay of several weeks in the hospital when he was five years old and a caring doctor who played correspondence chess and explained the chess rules to him gave way to his great passion. Eduard Frey celebrates the legend’s anniversary!
The Elephant Gambit (1.e4.e5 2.Nf3 d5!?) has never really been given the attention it deserves. It is a very useful surprise weapon. Let us list the advantages of playing this particular opening: 1) Shock value 2) It is very aggressive. Black can take over the initiative early. 3) Many tricky lines 4) Unorthodox. Black is basically taking the game to the opponent as early as move two. Not many openings do that! It's a perfect opening for young players and club players to adopt. Let Andrew Martin select a repertoire for you on this 60 mins, which, if used with discretion, will rack up the points. I am sure that you will enjoy this unusual tour of the Elephant Gambit.
Ruy Lopez Powerbase 2025 is a database and contains a total of 12092 games from Mega 2025 and the Correspondence Database 2024, of which 1276 are annotated.
In this 60 Minutes, Andrew Martin guides you through all the key ideas you need to know to play with confidence. Whether you’re looking to surprise your opponents, or simply want a straightforward weapon against e5, the Centre Attack has you covered.
Videos by Mihail Marin: Najdorf Variation with 6.f4 and Nico Zwirs: Italian ‘giucco pianissimo’. ‘Lucky bag’ with 45 analyses by Edouard, Ftacnik, Gupta, Pelletier and others. Update service with over 50,000 new games for your database!
This video course provides a comprehensive and practical White repertoire in the Ruy Lopez! Through instructive model games and in-depth theoretical explanations, you will learn how to confidently handle both main lines and sidelines.
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