Mr. French Defence. RIP
29-03-1935 to 24-08-2020
The Dresden-born Grandmaster Wolfgang Uhlmann passed away this Monday at age 85. Uhlmann’s achievements are too many to mention here, and I am certain the reader will encounter no difficulty at all to find dozens of other blogs and news sites that will merrily cite this information.
What I can share with the reader is that while Wolfgang Uhlmann was alive and active as a player, he was an icon for many up and coming masters who did not shy from hard work at the chessboard.
How many of us were not inspired by Uhlmann’s masterpieces with the French Defence? I can tell you that I was constantly impressed! Enough to have tried to take it up at various stages of my career as a tournament player.
I will not hide from you that I was crushed senselessly on multiple occasions in the process, but this just made me admire even more Uhlmann’s achievements!
The conclusion that I finally arrived at after my last attempt? That the French Defence is not for everyone and it takes a very special type of individual to master its secrets.
My most sincere condolences to Uhlmann’s wife Christine and her family!
(First photo above by Dagobert Kohlmeyer; LINK)
Fischer,R – Uhlmann,W
Buenos Aires 1960
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Stein,L – Uhlmann,W
Stockholm 1962
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