Salo Flohr

Born on 21 November 1908 in Horodenka, Austria-Hungary (now Ukraine), into a Jewish family. He was orphaned as a child and relocated to Prague.

Learned chess at a young age and quickly developed into one of the strongest players in Czechoslovakia.

Largely self-taught as a chess player, he developed his skills in the vibrant café chess culture of Prague and later became a chess journalist and theoretician.

One of the strongest players in the world during the 1930s; in his prime he won more than thirty international tournaments, defeating many of his greatest contemporaries, including three world champions.

By the end of the 1930s, he was contracted to challenge Alexander Alekhine for the World Championship, a match tragically cancelled by the outbreak of World War II.

After World War II, he became a Soviet citizen and worked as a chess journalist, arbiter, and organizer. He was the first to lose against Alekhine in a simultaneous exhibition in 1925.

Known for his clear strategic play and excellent endgame technique.

Flohr's World Championship match with Alekhine was cancelled due to the war, denying him a chance at the title he had earned through years of brilliant play.

He was a beloved figure in the chess world, known for his wit and his contributions to chess journalism and organization.

His quote: "Chess, like love, is infectious at any age."

"Chess, like love, is infectious at any age."

"The war severely affected my health and my nervous system. Chess is not for the faint-hearted but demands your all."

Salo Flohr: Selected Games — a collection of his best games.

Flohr: Move by Move by Cyrus Lakdawala — a modern instructional work.