The Czech chess neighborhood is mourning the sudden lack of GM Petr Neuman, who handed away this week on the age of solely 47.
The grandmaster was discovered useless in his Prague condo on Monday, the Czech Chess Federation introduced on its web site on Wednesday. No reason for dying has but been given.
Neuman performed each sport for Unhealthy Mergentheim on this season’s German Bundesliga and had simply returned from taking part in the final rounds this weekend, scoring a draw and a loss. He scored 4.5/14 for the crew together with attracts towards sturdy GMs comparable to Sergei Movsesian and Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, however couldn’t assist the membership stave off relegation.
Neuman turned a global grasp in 2002 and achieved the grandmaster title in 2013. His newest score of 2393 (his peak score of 2522 was from June 2013), meant that Neuman was removed from being among the many strongest gamers within the nation. Nevertheless, he turned famend for being one of the energetic grandmasters on the earth. In keeping with the FIDE database, he had greater than 3,300 rated video games, taking part in all types of codecs, whether or not classical, speedy, or blitz.
Earlier than competing in Germany final weekend, he had completed fourth within the Dublin Easter Norm occasion in Eire that ran April 17-21. He received quite a few tournaments all through his profession, most not too long ago the Pilsen Open speedy as the highest seed in March.
Past the 64 squares, Neuman was often called a revered educator. He was a trainer by occupation, and taught arithmetic and geography at a secondary faculty in Prague. Till not too long ago, he was additionally a member of the Teaching Fee of the Czech Chess Federation.
His passing has come as a shock to buddies and colleagues within the nation. Czech number-one GM David Navara expressed his deep sorrow in a publish on Czech chess website NSS: “Very unhappy and stunning information. Petr and I noticed one another on Friday and Saturday within the Bundesliga, and there was no indication that his well being would fail him.”
Navara shared their lengthy historical past collectively, which started when he was a rising expertise and Neuman was already a nationwide champion: “I bear in mind how we as soon as performed a sequence of blitz video games at a youth event in Pilsen. I used to be a couple of years youthful. Petr was the champion on the time, I used to be a candidate for champion. Petr maintained a lead of a number of factors the entire time.”
The 2 later performed collectively for years on the identical crew within the Bundesliga and different competitions. “Through the journeys we all the time had a pleasing chat within the ‘Czech automotive’,” Navara recalled fondly. “I bear in mind how Petr commented on the crew’s lineup after I left the crew: ‘Petr performs on the primary chessboard, that is me. Neuman on the second, that is me once more. And Cech on the third, that is me too!’”
He additionally added: “Petr was a powerful participant, but additionally a pleasant individual with a humorousness. We are going to miss him deeply. I provide my honest condolences to the bereaved.”
Petr was a powerful participant, but additionally a pleasant individual with a humorousness. We are going to miss him deeply.
—David Navara on Petr Neuman
One other transferring tribute got here from fellow Czech GM Robert Cvek: “It’s arduous to start out an article like this,” he wrote. “Petr was right here not way back, a smiling and easy-going pal, and now he’s gone.”
Cvek stated he had not too long ago spoken with Neuman through the closing rounds of the Czech Extraliga. “I requested him if he wished to play within the GM event in Prague in Might. He smiled and stated he didn’t have time due to educating—however possibly through the holidays.” Cvek by no means imagined that may be their final dialog.
Reflecting on their lengthy historical past collectively, Cvek highlighted Neuman’s character and chess ability: “Petr was an extremely easy-going man. Once I bear in mind him, it is with that typical smile, even fun with a shrug of the shoulders. He laughed fairly often. He had a attribute snicker and voice. The attention-grabbing factor is that I do not bear in mind and I do not recall ever seeing him offended or upset.”
He additionally famous how calmly he handled losses. “He would shrug his shoulders and smile. That fascinated me as soon as, once I noticed him lose a greater place to a a lot worse participant. No offended gestures, nothing like that.”
Cvek described Neuman as a talented theoretician and admired his theoretical overview. “He may play very properly after each 1.e4 and 1.d4. He skillfully dealt with the bishop pair. I had an disagreeable reminiscence of that from 2002, when he outplayed me fairly a bit positionally,” he stated about their encounter again then.
Cvek ended his tribute with a word of reflection. “For my technology, that is all of the extra painful. Petr was pal, we’ve been by rather a lot. The scythe is already beginning to mow down our ranks.”
