Vidmar Dr. Milan (22.06.1885 – 09.10.1962)
Slovenian Grandmaster (1950), International Arbiter (1951). An electro-engineer. he was a professor and the Dean of the Ljubljana University. Between 1910 and 1920, he was one of the strongest and leading chess players in the world. Was the chairman of the Yugoslavian Chess Federation from 1921. Was a Chief Arbiter in the World Championship in 1948, in the Olympiad in 1950 and in the International Tournament in Bled in 1961. Played in international tournaments for nearly 50 years. Was the Yugoslavian Champion in 1939 and a leader of the Yugoslavian Team in the Olympiads in 1931 and 1935. Winner or shared the victory in Gothenburg 1909, the Vienna-Trebisch Tournament 1917-18, Berlin 1918, Hastings 1925-26, where he shared the victory with Alekhine having scored 8,5 points out of 9, Bad Sliac 1932 equal with Flohr, Basel 1952. His performance was remarkable also at Coburg 1904, where he was the second; in Barmen 1905, he was the third; in Vienna[U1] , he shared the third place; in Prague in 1908, he finished third; in San Sebastian in 1911, he shared the second-third places; in Manheim in 1914, he was the second; in London in 1922, he scored the third places after Capablanca and Alekhine; in New York and in London in 1927, he was the fourth; in Hastings in 1936-37, he shared the fourth-fifth places; in Budapest in 1940, he performed the second; in Ljubljana in 1945-46, he shared the second-third places. He participated as a member of the Yugoslavian Team in the Olympiads in 1931 and 1935. In match play, he won over Tartakower in 1906 by 5,5-3,5 and in 1918 by 4-2 and from Reshevsky in 1936 by 3,5-2,5. Being an author, he wrote 35 books on engineering and two books on chess: Pol stoletja ob sahovnici (1951) containing 100 annotated games and some biographical facts and Goldene Schachzeiten (1961) with annotated games and the only book devoted to tournament was Carlsbad 1911 written in 1912[U2] . Capablanca said about him: “I am lucky that Vidmar is sharing his time between engineering and chess; otherwise my title would be seriously threatened.”
