Pfleger Helmut Dr. (06.08.1943)

German Grandmaster (1975) born in Czech Republic. Doctor of medicine. German U20 Champion in 1961.

His first notable success was in 1965 when he battled against Wolfgang Unzicker for the first place in the West German championship and the result was that they shared the title. He has represented Germany in some seven Olympiads between 1964 and 1982 and collected one individual gold in 1964 for the best performance at board fourth and one team bronze.

Best results: won or shared first at Polanica Zdroj 1971, Lorenzo Marquez 1973 and Montilla 1973, first equal with Lubo Kavalek, and Manila 1975, second equal with Bent Larsen, Henrique Mecking, and Lev Polugayevsky. During his Olympiad appearances, Pfleger made the best fourth-board score (+10=5). Inactive since 1990.

Peak rating: 2575 in 1972.

Although his basic duties at the hospital restricted his available time for chess, he studied the effect of chess on health and at the same time, began a career as a TV commentator. Chess columnist for Die Zeit. Author of Die Besten Partien Deutscher Schachgrossmeister: Klaus Darga, Hans-J. Hecht, Robert Hubner, Barbara Hund, Erik Lobron, Helmut Pfleger, Lothar Schmid, Wolfgang Unzicker (1983, Spiel, Sport, Wissenschaft, Kunst (1986),Der Schachcomputer: Gegner Und Freund (with Ephraim Kishon and Ossi Weiner, 1986),The Mechanics of the Mind (with Gerd Treppner, 1989).