592:
352:
25:
154:
658:. However, he finished joint last with 7 out of 18, and never entered the World Championship cycle again, concentrating on journalism. He also developed a role as a chess organiser. He did play periodically at high levels, both within the Soviet Union and abroad, with some success, until the late 1960s. He was awarded the title of
554:
While AVRO was a strong tournament and Flohr's last-placed finish was no disgrace, his result may also be explained by his difficult personal circumstances at the time. The German invasion of
Czechoslovakia in 1938 had left Flohr, as a Polish-Ukrainian Jew, in grave personal danger. Flohr remained in
545:
had nominated him as the official candidate to play
Alekhine for the World Championship. However, with World War II looming, it proved impossible for Flohr to raise the stake money in Czechoslovakia, so the plans were dropped. The next year, Flohr was one of the eight elite players invited to the
730:
The Second World War killed any chance he had of winning the world title, and the stress of becoming a refugee for the second time in his life affected his style of play. He became a much more cautious player in his post-war games and earned a
550:
of
November 1938. He finished last, and this put an end to his chances of a World Championship match with Alekhine. AVRO may have been the only time in chess history when the top eight players in the world contested an important tournament.
599:
Flohr was able to recover his form after reaching safety in Moscow. He won Kemeri 1939 with a score of 12/15. He also won the strong 1939 Leningrad/Moscow tournament with 12/17. He tied for second place at
Margate 1939 with 6œ/9 behind
493:, once again on board one, he scored 12œ/16 for a third individual gold medal. In five Olympiads, he won two individual gold medals, a silver and a bronze. His aggregate was 60/82, for a 73% score against the top players in the world.
342:
in the latter's final success. Flohr had also taken a job as a chess journalist; one of his first assignments was to cover the 1928 Berlin tournament, during which he continued to win money on the side by playing chess.
798:.com, which compares historical ratings, Flohr was among the world's top 20 players from 1930 to 1951, except for the war years 1942â44 when he was largely inactive; and his ranking peaked at No. 2 in the world in 1935.
727:, as the game selection shows. Flohr almost never opened with 1.e4. He was one of the main developers of the CaroâKann, which was an obscure and poorly regarded line as late as the 1920s when Flohr adopted it.
790:
Flohr was never able to defeat
Alekhine head-to-head, losing five games and drawing seven in their 12 encounters. Alekhine had a sharp, tactical style, and he could also play outstanding positional chess.
684:
Flohr was one of
Czechoslovakia's greatest chess players ever and proved virtually invincible at the Olympiads of the 1930s. His tournament record was impressive, with his tactical skill and excellent
461:
Flohr became a national hero in
Czechoslovakia during the 1930s. His name was used to sell many of the luxury products of the time, including Salo Flohr cigarettes, slippers and eau-de-cologne.
712:. The FlohrâZaitsev Variation of the Closed Ruy Lopez (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Bb7 10.d4 Re8) was successfully adopted by World Champion
696:
title on its inaugural list in 1950. He made some important contributions to opening theory: a 'Flohr variation' can be found in six major openings, including the
359:
Flohr's playing ability peaked in the mid-1930s, when he became one of the world's strongest players and a leading contender for the World
Championship. He became
627:. As the Soviet Union first stopped then reversed the Axis invasion, some chess activity started up again, and in 1943 Flohr won a small but strong tournament in
575:
I with 2œ/3. Then, he and his family fled, first to Sweden, and then to Moscow with the help of his friend
Botvinnik. While in Sweden, he tied for first place at
299:). He and his brother were orphaned during World War I when their parents were killed in a massacre, and they fled to the newly formed nation of Czechoslovakia.
1085:
501:
Flohr enjoyed a fair amount of success in match play. He played matches with two of his main rivals for the right to challenge reigning champion
275:. However, his patient, positional style was overtaken by the sharper, more tactical methods of the younger Soviet echelon after World War II.
306:, gradually acquiring a reputation as a skilled chess player by playing for stakes in the city's many cafés. During 1924, he participated in
1120:
222:
1110:
799:
623:
citizen in 1942, and developed his writing career in his new country, contributing articles to Soviet newspapers and magazines including
363:
in 1933 and 1936 and played in many tournaments throughout Europe, generally finishing amongst the top three. Notable victories were at
485:, he again played board one, scored 9/14, helped Czechoslovakia win the team silver medal, and earned a bronze medal for himself. At
241:
836:
Even the phenomenal
Capablanca, former World Champion and joint winner of Nottingham, can't defend against Flohr's Queen's Gambit.
271:
in 1950. Flohr dominated many tournaments of the pre-World War II years, and by the late 1930s was considered a contender for the
1135:
591:
505:. He tied a 16-game match against Euwe in 1932 (+3 â3 =10), and he tied a match against Botvinnik in 1933 (+2 â2 =8). Flohr beat
1001:
435:
864:
Leonid Stein vs Salo Flohr, Ukrainian Championship, Kyiv 1957, CaroâKann Defence, FlohrâSmyslov Modern Variation (B17), 0â1
489:, on board one he scored an undefeated 13/17 for another individual gold medal, and Czechoslovakia finished fifth. Then at
1140:
1070:
89:
564:
1060:
61:
916:
896:
108:
816:
Mikhail Botvinnik vs Salo Flohr, Leningrad / Moscow match 1933, CaroâKann Defence, PanovâBotvinnik Attack (B13), 0â1
68:
360:
420:
1095:
1050:
891:, by Salomon Flohr (translated from the Russian by Gregory S. Donges), Davenport, Iowa, Thinker's Press, 1985,
46:
1026:
Film newsreel about a simultaneous display of Salo Flohr and Mikhail Botvinnik, Hilversum (NL), 1 January 1964
1125:
1115:
1105:
642:
After the war, he was still a contender for a possible World Championship match. He finished 6th at the 1948
122:
75:
1100:
1075:
935:
438:
of the 1930s. He finished first in 1931/32, 1932/33 and 1933/34, he finished in a tie for first place with
388:
1065:
611:
Flohr did not play in any official strong Soviet events from 1940â42, though he did lose a 1942 match to
473:
was equally impressive, according to the comprehensive Olympiad site olimpbase.org. He made his debut at
42:
834:
Salo Flohr vs J.R. Capablanca, Nottingham 1936, Queen's Gambit Declined, Tartakower Variation (D59), 1â0
854:
The 20-year-old Petrosian was making his debut at the top Soviet level, and learns a positional lesson.
822:
Salo Flohr vs Isaac Kashdan, Folkestone Olympiad 1933, English Opening, FlohrâMikenas Attack (A18), 1â0
676:
514:
57:
828:
Salo Flohr vs Paul Keres, Warsaw Olympiad 1935, Queen's Gambit Declined, Exchange Variation (D37), 1â0
810:
Salo Flohr vs Max Euwe, Amsterdam / Karlsbad match 1932, Queen's Gambit, Exchange Variation (D36), 1â0
693:
455:
972:
870:
Salo Flohr vs Bent Larsen, Noordwijk 1965, Sicilian Defence, Accelerated Dragon Variation (B39), 1â0
830:
Keres was the 19-year-old new star making his international debut, but he is out of his league here.
846:
David Bronstein vs Salo Flohr, USSR Championship, Moscow 1944, Ruy Lopez, Open Variation (C82), 0â1
288:
272:
1080:
1055:
848:
The 20-year-old Bronstein was making his debut at the top Soviet level, but learns a lesson here.
720:
307:
35:
852:
Salo Flohr vs Tigran Petrosian, USSR Championship, Moscow 1949, Old Indian Defence (A54), 1â0
659:
651:
1130:
1045:
1040:
1025:
555:
the Netherlands in early 1939, playing in several small events. He tied for first place in
283:
Flohr had a troubled childhood beset by personal crises. He was born in a Jewish family in
824:
Flohr adopts one of the lines which will eventually bear his name, with good success here.
8:
1090:
481:, again on board one, he scored 11/18, and led Czechoslovakia to a team bronze medal. At
264:
233:
1016:
869:
863:
857:
851:
845:
839:
833:
827:
821:
815:
809:
709:
82:
612:
502:
490:
486:
482:
478:
474:
443:
428:
416:
384:
331:
997:
912:
892:
744:
724:
697:
404:
392:
756:
580:
408:
380:
339:
315:
858:
Salo Flohr vs Efim Geller, USSR Championship, Moscow 1950, Reti Opening (A05), 1â0
723:
with White, and during the prime of his career, he was especially deadly with the
925:, by Henrik Malm Lindberg, Stockholm, Personhistorisk Tidskrift, 2020, (Swedish).
780:
752:
740:
705:
685:
636:
547:
510:
376:
292:
202:
647:
506:
311:
1020:
736:
735:
reputation, with many short draws which were hardly contested. Players such as
719:
Flohr was primarily a strategist who excelled in the endgame. He favoured the
713:
470:
326:
Flohr won the Kautsky Memorial tournaments of 1928 and 1929 which were held in
256:
175:
842:
Solid positional performance in one of the fashionable hypermodern variations.
1034:
872:
Flohr takes off one of the Candidates of that time in his last great victory.
772:
768:
764:
522:
567:
at 3œ/5. He tied third/fourth place in Amsterdam VARA with 3/5, as Euwe and
905:, by Viktor D. Baturinsky (Hg), Moscow, Fiskultura i Sport, 1985 (Russian).
812:
Virtually perfect game by White showing optimal strategy in this variation.
795:
787:
dominated the landscape with their sharper styles and innovative openings.
784:
732:
620:
372:
368:
351:
179:
411:. During this period, he had several other notable high finishes, such as
396:
776:
760:
605:
568:
447:
860:
Another young Master learns that the veteran Flohr still packs a punch.
748:
643:
631:. In 1944 he was again victorious in a Bolshevik Society tournament at
601:
576:
526:
521:
in 1932 by 6â2. In 1933, he won two matches in Switzerland, first over
126:
639:. He withdrew from the 1945 USSR Championship after only three games.
701:
556:
518:
284:
198:
24:
655:
560:
477:
on board one, scoring 14œ/17 for the silver medal. On home soil at
439:
335:
840:
Salo Flohr vs Emanuel Lasker, Moscow 1936, Reti Opening (A06), 1â0
424:
364:
263:
player and writer. He was among the first recipients of the title
153:
866:
Another smooth positional massage from the Master of the 'Roach'.
451:
296:
134:
434:
Flohr also frequently visited England, regularly playing in the
885:, by Salomon Flohr, Moscow, Fiskultura i Sport, 1957 (Russian).
818:
Botvinnik adopts his favourite line, but has to concede defeat.
400:
330:, and made his international debut at the Rohitsch-Sauerbrunn (
327:
303:
218:
16:
Czech chess player, arbiter, theoretician, organiser and writer
572:
530:
260:
954:
318:, and he was still giving displays well into his seventies.
689:
632:
628:
616:
542:
423:(tied for second with 12/15, again trailing Alekhine); and
412:
268:
517:, by 3Âœâ2Âœ. Flohr also defeated Johannes van den Bosch at
391:
where he tied for first place with future World Champion
415:
1932 (tied for second with 11œ/15, after World Champion
909:
Salo Flohr und das Schachleben in der Tschechoslawakei
911:, by Helmut Wieteck, Hamburg, Neu-Jung Verlag, 2005,
608:
1939 with 8œ/11, behind former World Champion Euwe.
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
454:tournament of 1936 ahead of former World Champion
536:
1032:
586:
255:(November 21, 1908 – July 18, 1983) was a
876:
688:technique securing him many famous victories.
464:
509:by 5Âœâ2Âœ in 1931, and a year later he beat
1086:Czechoslovak emigrants to the Soviet Union
668:
403:in 1937 where he shared the top spot with
367:in 1932, where he shared first place with
152:
399:in 1936 with the score of +10 â1 =6; and
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
590:
469:His form for his adopted country in the
350:
346:
973:"Riddle: Was Flohr vs Botvinnik sound?"
665:Flohr died in Moscow on July 18, 1983.
525:by 4â2 at Bern, and then by 4Âœâ1Âœ over
1033:
446:in 1934/35, and he was second behind
383:in 1935 where he tied for first with
541:Flohr had married in 1935. By 1937,
47:adding citations to reliable sources
18:
1121:Jews who emigrated to escape Nazism
13:
1111:Jews from Galicia (Eastern Europe)
650:, thereby qualifying for the 1950
321:
14:
1152:
1010:
994:The Greatest Ever Chess Endgames
889:Salo Flohr's Best Games of Chess
883:12th Chess Tournament of Nations
803:
619:by 2â0. He became a naturalized
496:
355:Flohr (left) with Max Euwe, 1969
23:
34:needs additional citations for
1136:Soviet people of Czech descent
986:
975:. Chess Base.com. 24 July 2020
965:
947:
604:. He then tied for second at
537:Official challenger, war years
338:, where he finished second to
158:Salomon Flohr in Moscow, 1933.
1:
941:
587:Soviet citizen, recovers form
278:
123:Eastern Slavic naming customs
1019:player profile and games at
936:List of Jewish chess players
877:Writings and further reading
450:in 1935/36. He also won the
7:
929:
10:
1157:
1141:20th-century chess players
1071:Chess Olympiad competitors
923:SchackmÀstare utan hemland
672:
583:with 10 points out of 11.
361:champion of Czechoslovakia
253:Salomon Mikhailovich Flohr
167:Salomon Mikhailovich Flohr
121:In this name that follows
120:
1061:Jews from Austria-Hungary
694:International Grandmaster
465:Excels in Chess Olympiads
265:International Grandmaster
240:
229:
208:
185:
171:
163:
151:
146:
679:to describe chess moves.
308:simultaneous exhibitions
669:Achievements and legacy
794:According to the site
596:
356:
1096:Czechoslovak refugees
1051:People from Horodenka
660:International Arbiter
652:Candidates Tournament
594:
354:
347:World title contender
1126:Soviet chess players
1116:Jewish chess players
1106:Soviet chess writers
513:, the 1932 and 1933
456:JosĂ© RaĂșl Capablanca
436:Hastings tournaments
427:1937 (second behind
379:in 1934 with 9œ/11;
43:improve this article
1101:Chess theoreticians
1076:Czech chess players
1066:Chess Grandmasters
677:algebraic notation
675:This section uses
613:Vladimir Makogonov
597:
503:Alexander Alekhine
429:Paul Felix Schmidt
417:Alexander Alekhine
385:George Koltanowski
357:
273:World Championship
1002:978-1-85744-694-4
903:Grandmaster Flohr
745:Isaac Boleslavsky
698:CaroâKann Defence
444:Sir George Thomas
393:Mikhail Botvinnik
302:Flohr settled in
287:in what was then
250:
249:
196:November 21, 1908
119:
118:
111:
93:
1148:
1005:
990:
984:
983:
981:
980:
969:
963:
962:
951:
757:Tigran Petrosian
710:GrĂŒnfeld Defence
692:awarded him the
581:Rudolf Spielmann
515:British Champion
409:Samuel Reshevsky
340:Akiba Rubinstein
334:) tournament in
316:Rudolf Spielmann
246:2460 (July 1972)
242:Peak rating
215:
195:
193:
156:
144:
143:
114:
107:
103:
100:
94:
92:
51:
27:
19:
1156:
1155:
1151:
1150:
1149:
1147:
1146:
1145:
1031:
1030:
1013:
1008:
992:Steve Giddens,
991:
987:
978:
976:
971:
970:
966:
953:
952:
948:
944:
932:
879:
806:
781:Viktor Korchnoi
753:Alexander Kotov
741:David Bronstein
706:English Opening
682:
681:
680:
671:
637:Alexei Sokolsky
589:
548:AVRO tournament
539:
511:Mir Sultan Khan
499:
483:Folkestone 1933
471:Chess Olympiads
467:
405:Vladimir Petrov
377:Bad Liebenwerda
349:
332:RogaĆĄka Slatina
324:
322:Early successes
293:Austria-Hungary
281:
217:
213:
203:Austria-Hungary
197:
191:
189:
178:
159:
142:
115:
104:
98:
95:
52:
50:
40:
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1154:
1144:
1143:
1138:
1133:
1128:
1123:
1118:
1113:
1108:
1103:
1098:
1093:
1088:
1083:
1081:Chess arbiters
1078:
1073:
1068:
1063:
1058:
1056:Ukrainian Jews
1053:
1048:
1043:
1029:
1028:
1023:
1021:Chessgames.com
1012:
1011:External links
1009:
1007:
1006:
985:
964:
945:
943:
940:
939:
938:
931:
928:
927:
926:
920:
906:
900:
886:
878:
875:
874:
873:
867:
861:
855:
849:
843:
837:
831:
825:
819:
813:
805:
802:
737:Vasily Smyslov
725:Queen's Gambit
716:in the 1980s.
714:Anatoly Karpov
674:
673:
670:
667:
588:
585:
538:
535:
498:
495:
491:Stockholm 1937
466:
463:
348:
345:
323:
320:
280:
277:
248:
247:
244:
238:
237:
231:
227:
226:
225:, Soviet Union
216:(aged 74)
210:
206:
205:
187:
183:
182:
176:Czechoslovakia
173:
169:
168:
165:
164:Full name
161:
160:
157:
149:
148:
117:
116:
31:
29:
22:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1153:
1142:
1139:
1137:
1134:
1132:
1129:
1127:
1124:
1122:
1119:
1117:
1114:
1112:
1109:
1107:
1104:
1102:
1099:
1097:
1094:
1092:
1089:
1087:
1084:
1082:
1079:
1077:
1074:
1072:
1069:
1067:
1064:
1062:
1059:
1057:
1054:
1052:
1049:
1047:
1044:
1042:
1039:
1038:
1036:
1027:
1024:
1022:
1018:
1015:
1014:
1003:
999:
995:
989:
974:
968:
960:
959:olimpbase.org
956:
950:
946:
937:
934:
933:
924:
921:
918:
917:3-933648-26-2
914:
910:
907:
904:
901:
898:
897:0-938650-34-3
894:
890:
887:
884:
881:
880:
871:
868:
865:
862:
859:
856:
853:
850:
847:
844:
841:
838:
835:
832:
829:
826:
823:
820:
817:
814:
811:
808:
807:
804:Notable games
801:
800:
797:
792:
788:
786:
782:
778:
774:
773:Boris Spassky
770:
769:Yuri Averbakh
766:
765:Mark Taimanov
762:
758:
754:
750:
746:
742:
738:
734:
728:
726:
722:
717:
715:
711:
707:
703:
699:
695:
691:
687:
678:
666:
663:
661:
657:
653:
649:
645:
640:
638:
634:
630:
626:
622:
618:
614:
609:
607:
603:
593:
584:
582:
578:
574:
570:
566:
562:
558:
552:
549:
544:
534:
532:
528:
524:
523:Oskar Naegeli
520:
516:
512:
508:
504:
497:Match results
494:
492:
488:
484:
480:
476:
472:
462:
459:
457:
453:
449:
445:
441:
437:
432:
430:
426:
422:
418:
414:
410:
406:
402:
398:
394:
390:
386:
382:
378:
374:
370:
366:
362:
353:
344:
341:
337:
333:
329:
319:
317:
313:
309:
305:
300:
298:
294:
290:
286:
276:
274:
270:
266:
262:
258:
254:
245:
243:
239:
235:
232:
228:
224:
220:
212:July 18, 1983
211:
207:
204:
200:
188:
184:
181:
177:
174:
170:
166:
162:
155:
150:
147:Salomon Flohr
145:
140:
136:
133: and the
132:
128:
124:
113:
110:
102:
99:December 2012
91:
88:
84:
81:
77:
74:
70:
67:
63:
60: â
59:
55:
54:Find sources:
48:
44:
38:
37:
32:This article
30:
26:
21:
20:
993:
988:
977:. Retrieved
967:
958:
949:
922:
908:
902:
888:
882:
796:Chessmetrics
793:
789:
785:Leonid Stein
729:
718:
683:
664:
648:Saltsjöbaden
641:
635:, tied with
624:
610:
598:
595:Flohr (1963)
571:won. He won
565:LĂĄszlĂł SzabĂł
553:
540:
507:Gösta Stoltz
500:
475:Hamburg 1930
468:
460:
433:
373:Scheveningen
369:Milan Vidmar
358:
325:
312:Richard RĂ©ti
301:
282:
257:Czechoslovak
252:
251:
223:Russian SFSR
214:(1983-07-18)
180:Soviet Union
138:
131:Mikhailovich
130:
105:
96:
86:
79:
72:
65:
58:"Salo Flohr"
53:
41:Please help
36:verification
33:
1131:Soviet Jews
1046:1983 deaths
1041:1908 births
777:Mikhail Tal
761:Efim Geller
721:closed game
606:Bournemouth
569:Salo Landau
487:Warsaw 1935
479:Prague 1931
448:Reuben Fine
421:ZĂŒrich 1934
389:Moscow 1935
259:and Soviet
234:Grandmaster
135:family name
1091:Czech Jews
1035:Categories
1017:Salo Flohr
979:2020-09-10
942:References
749:Paul Keres
708:, and the
644:Interzonal
602:Paul Keres
577:Gothenburg
559:KNSB with
527:Henri Grob
279:Early life
192:1908-11-21
127:patronymic
69:newspapers
919:(German).
702:Ruy Lopez
662:in 1963.
557:Amsterdam
519:The Hague
397:PodÄbrady
381:Barcelona
375:in 1933;
365:Bad SliaÄ
285:Horodenka
199:Horodenka
1004:, p. 108
996:, 2012,
930:See also
656:Budapest
561:Max Euwe
440:Max Euwe
336:Slovenia
295:(now in
733:drawish
686:endgame
452:Margate
297:Ukraine
289:Galicia
172:Country
83:scholar
1000:
955:"Home"
915:
895:
783:, and
704:, the
700:, the
625:Ogonek
621:Soviet
546:great
401:Kemeri
328:Prague
304:Prague
236:(1950)
219:Moscow
125:, the
85:
78:
71:
64:
56:
579:with
573:Baarn
531:Arosa
425:PĂ€rnu
267:from
261:chess
230:Title
139:Flohr
90:JSTOR
76:books
998:ISBN
913:ISBN
893:ISBN
690:FIDE
633:Kyiv
629:Baku
617:Baku
563:and
543:FIDE
442:and
413:Bern
407:and
314:and
269:FIDE
209:Died
186:Born
62:news
654:in
646:in
615:in
529:at
431:).
419:);
310:by
137:is
129:is
45:by
1037::
957:.
779:,
775:,
771:,
767:,
763:,
759:,
755:,
751:,
747:,
743:,
739:,
533:.
458:.
395:;
387:;
371:;
291:,
221:,
201:,
982:.
961:.
899:.
194:)
190:(
141:.
112:)
106:(
101:)
97:(
87:·
80:·
73:·
66:·
39:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
