Vlastimil Hort Has Passed Away: Remembering a Chess Gentleman

A grandmaster of remarkable talent, a gifted storyteller, and a man of great personal charm, Hort left a lasting legacy both on and off the chessboard.

Born on January 12, 1944, in Kladno, Czechoslovakia, Hort learned to play chess as a young boy in hospital, where a kind doctor introduced him to the game. His talent quickly became apparent. At just sixteen years old, he represented Czechoslovakia at the Chess Olympiad.

He was awarded the grandmaster title in 1965 and soon became one of the top players in the world. In 1970, he was selected to represent the Rest of the World in the legendary “USSR vs. the World” match. At the peak of his career, in 1977, he ranked sixth in the world alongside names like Mikhail Tal and Lev Polugaevsky.

Hort came close to challenging for the World Championship. In the 1977 Candidates cycle, he faced Boris Spassky in a tense match. With the score tied before the final games, Hort lost a critical position on time—despite being better—after earlier generously allowing his ill opponent a postponement. It was a moment that revealed his deep sense of fairness, something that characterized his entire life.

In 1980, he emigrated from Czechoslovakia to West Germany. Settling in Cologne, he became a popular figure on German television, co-hosting the show Chess of the Grandmasters with Helmut Pfleger. His gentle humor, colorful aphorisms, and warm presence brought chess to audiences far beyond the tournament halls.

Hort won the Czechoslovak Championship six times and the German Championship three times. He played in 14 Chess Olympiads—11 for Czechoslovakia and 3 for Germany—and won more than 80 tournaments in his career. In 1972 in Skopje, he won individual silver on board two, and in 1982 he helped the Czechoslovak team win silver in Lucerne.

Later in life, he lived in Eitorf with his wife Brigitte. Even as health challenges—especially progressive diabetes—began to limit his mobility, he remained closely connected to the chess world. He frequently called friends to discuss recent games, solved endgame puzzles with tireless curiosity, and visited the ChessBase studio in Hamburg to record shows, often taking the train up and back in a single day.

In January 2025, he mourned the loss of his close friend Robert Hübner. The two shared not only years of tournaments and team events, but also deep intellectual and personal camaraderie. Hübner was a frequent guest in the Hort household, drawn by the conversation and Brigitte’s cooking.

Vlastimil Hort was not just a great player—he was a storyteller, an entertainer, and above all, a kind and principled man. His books and interviews remain filled with anecdotes and reflections that remind us that chess is, at its heart, a game played by people.

In his final weeks, his strength waned, but his love for the game never faded. On May 12, 2025, he passed away peacefully. He will be deeply missed by generations of players, fans, and friends around the world.

May he rest in peace.