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Dietmar Kolbus was born on 17 January in Rahden, Germany. He came to Trier in the mid-1980s to study computer science and joined the SG Trier, for whom he played in the Oberliga (Germany's third division after the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga) Südwest, the Oberliga Rheinland-Pfalz and the 2nd Bundesliga Süd.
After his studies, Kolbus worked for SAP and then enjoyed financial success with his own company, which carried out contracts for SAP. As a patron of the arts, the chess enthusiast supported the SG Trier and led the first team of the club into the Bundesliga, where they played from 2007/08 to 2016/17. Kolbus was also heavily involved in other club activities, particularly press relations.
However, after differences with the SG Trier club management, Kolbus withdrew the team from the Bundesliga in 2017 and started with almost the same team in the privately organised Four Nations League (4NCL) in Great Britain. The team played as Manx Liberty for the Isle of Man, where Kolbus lived, and won the title in the 2021/22 season. From 2021 Kolbus played for the Isle of Man.
Kolbus was known as a strong blitz player and after completing his studies, he also played in many international open tournaments, where he repeatedly achieved respectable results. In 2005, he became an IM. Kolbus had made the necessary norms earlier, but only reached the required minimum rating of 2400 in 2005.
After moving to the Isle of Man, Kolbus played regularly in the island's tournaments and won the Isle of Man Rapid Chess Championship in 2009. He also played in the highly competitive Isle of Man Open and was awarded a wild card by the organisers after the tournaments became a qualifier for the Candidates Tournament. Kolbus also made repeated appearances at the British National Championships and was a regular guest at the Biel Chess Festival.
Dietmar Kolbus died on 20 July in Biel (Switzerland), where he was participating in the Master Open of the Biel Chess Festival. He was 58 years old.
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