Junge was born into a German Chilean family. His father Otto was a strong chess player who won the Chilean Chess Championship in 1922. In 1928 his parents and their five sons returned to Germany. On 11-20 August 1939, he, along with Wolfgang Unzicker (14 years old), Edith Keller (17), Rudolf Kunath (15) and Karl Krbavic (17), played in Fürstenwalde (Jugendschachwoche) near Berlin.[2] In 1941, at the age of 17, Klaus Junge was considered one of the strongest players in Germany. In 1941, he won the championship of Hamburg. In May 1941, he won at Bad Elster (qualifying German championship). In August 1941, he tied for first with Paul Felix Schmidt at Bad Oeynhausen (the eighth German Championship), although he lost a playoff match against Schmidt for the title at Bromberg (+0 -3 =1). In October 1941, he took fourth place, behind Alexander Alekhine, Schmidt, and Efim Bogoljubow, at Kraków/Warsaw (the second General Government chess tournament championship).[3] In January 1942, Junge won the Dresden tournament. In 1942, he took second place, behind Walter Niephaus, at Leipzig. In April 1942, he was second, behind Carl Carls, at Rostock. In June 1942, he tied for third-fourth with Schmidt, behind Alekhine and Paul Keres, at the Salzburg 1942 chess tournament. In September, he took seventh place at the Munich (the first European Championship), won by Alekhine. In October 1942, he took second place, behind Alekhine, at Warsaw/Lublin/Kraków (the third General Government championship). In December 1942, he tied for first with Alekhine at Prague (Duras Jubileé, 60-jährigen Jubiläum).[4] In 1942-43, he played in three correspondence tournaments, beating among others Rudolf Teschner and Emil Joseph Diemer. World War II cut Junge's chess career short. Klaus Junge, whose father had been a member of the Nazi Party since 1932,[5] was an adherent of the National Socialist ideology. As a lieutenant of the Wehrmacht, he died in combat against Allied troops on 17 April 1945 in the Battle of Welle on the Lüneburg Heath, close to Hamburg, three weeks before World War II ended.[6] In 1946, Regensburg hosted the first Klaus Junge Memorial. The event was won by Fedor Bohatirchuk, ahead of Elmārs Zemgalis, Wolfgang Unzicker, etc
In the Occupied Territories, the Nazis held a number of events. Alekhine and Keres often played in them. Due to this, Alekhine was not invited to the first major event after the war, in London. Keres faced potentially far worse consequences after he failed to escape Estonia in 1945 at the hands of the Soviets.
He was born in Chile to parents of german descent. They returned to Germany before the war where later, as a german citizen, he was conscripted into the army. He died in combat a few days before the end of the war. I do not know whether he retained the chilean nationality. He certainly was german. A tragic waste, he should have stayed in South America.
I’m guessing he wasn’t thrilled about joining the nazis and was probably afraid during his last days. I suppose he retained some kind of honor for fighting for his country. It’s a shame he was conscripted into the German army when the war was nearing at an end anyway. He probably could have been almost on the same level as alekine or Capablanca we will never know. Don’t understand why a top tier world class player who represented the high German intellect wasn’t protected. You will never be forgotten for the beauty you created on the chessboard. May your games live on forever klaus junge
Junge was born into a German Chilean family. His father Otto was a strong chess player who won the Chilean Chess Championship in 1922. In 1928 his parents and their five sons returned to Germany.
On 11-20 August 1939, he, along with Wolfgang Unzicker (14 years old), Edith Keller (17), Rudolf Kunath (15) and Karl Krbavic (17), played in Fürstenwalde (Jugendschachwoche) near Berlin.[2] In 1941, at the age of 17, Klaus Junge was considered one of the strongest players in Germany. In 1941, he won the championship of Hamburg. In May 1941, he won at Bad Elster (qualifying German championship). In August 1941, he tied for first with Paul Felix Schmidt at Bad Oeynhausen (the eighth German Championship), although he lost a playoff match against Schmidt for the title at Bromberg (+0 -3 =1). In October 1941, he took fourth place, behind Alexander Alekhine, Schmidt, and Efim Bogoljubow, at Kraków/Warsaw (the second General Government chess tournament championship).[3]
In January 1942, Junge won the Dresden tournament. In 1942, he took second place, behind Walter Niephaus, at Leipzig. In April 1942, he was second, behind Carl Carls, at Rostock. In June 1942, he tied for third-fourth with Schmidt, behind Alekhine and Paul Keres, at the Salzburg 1942 chess tournament. In September, he took seventh place at the Munich (the first European Championship), won by Alekhine. In October 1942, he took second place, behind Alekhine, at Warsaw/Lublin/Kraków (the third General Government championship). In December 1942, he tied for first with Alekhine at Prague (Duras Jubileé, 60-jährigen Jubiläum).[4] In 1942-43, he played in three correspondence tournaments, beating among others Rudolf Teschner and Emil Joseph Diemer.
World War II cut Junge's chess career short. Klaus Junge, whose father had been a member of the Nazi Party since 1932,[5] was an adherent of the National Socialist ideology. As a lieutenant of the Wehrmacht, he died in combat against Allied troops on 17 April 1945 in the Battle of Welle on the Lüneburg Heath, close to Hamburg, three weeks before World War II ended.[6]
In 1946, Regensburg hosted the first Klaus Junge Memorial. The event was won by Fedor Bohatirchuk, ahead of Elmārs Zemgalis, Wolfgang Unzicker, etc
Bf5 my kind of move
1942? isn't that during world war 2? Didn't know they continued holding chess tournaments in wartime
In the Occupied Territories, the Nazis held a number of events. Alekhine and Keres often played in them.
Due to this, Alekhine was not invited to the first major event after the war, in London. Keres faced potentially far worse consequences after he failed to escape Estonia in 1945 at the hands of the Soviets.
he was chilean not german
Era Chileno pero debido a que los padres eran alemanes, es Chileno-Aleman, ademas viene de Concepción
He was born in Chile to parents of german descent. They returned to Germany before the war where later, as a german citizen, he was conscripted into the army. He died in combat a few days before the end of the war. I do not know whether he retained the chilean nationality. He certainly was german. A tragic waste, he should have stayed in South America.
I’m guessing he wasn’t thrilled about joining the nazis and was probably afraid during his last days. I suppose he retained some kind of honor for fighting for his country. It’s a shame he was conscripted into the German army when the war was nearing at an end anyway. He probably could have been almost on the same level as alekine or Capablanca we will never know. Don’t understand why a top tier world class player who represented the high German intellect wasn’t protected. You will never be forgotten for the beauty you created on the chessboard. May your games live on forever klaus junge