Lothar Maximilian Lorenz Schmid (10 May 1928 – 18 May 2013) was a German chess grandmaster who was born in Dresden. He is best known as the arbiter of several World Chess Championship matches. Also a collector of chess books and paraphernalia, he owns the largest known private chess library in the world and has a renowned collection of chess art masterpieces and chess boards and pieces from all around the globe.

Playing career

In 1941, at the beginning of his career, Schmid won the Dresden Championship. In 1943, he took second in Vienna (German Juniors Championship). In June 1947, he tied for first with Gerhard Pfeiffer in Wiessenfels (SBZ-ch). In April 1948, he tied for second/third place in Celle (Carl Ahues won). In September 1948, he tied for fourth/fifth place at the full German Chess Championship (12th GER-ch) in Essen. The event was won by Wolfgang Unzicker. In May 1949, he took third in Bad Pyrmont (13th GER-ch). The event was won by Efim Bogoljubow. In August 1949, he tied for first in Grossröhrsdorf. In 1950, he drew (4 : 4) a match with Wade in Bamberg. In 1951, he won in Travemünde. In 1951/52, he took third in Hastings (Svetozar Gligorić won). In 1953, he tied for second/third place, behind Esteban Canal, in Venice. In 1954, he won in Zürich. In March 1955, he won in Nuremberg. In October 1955, he took second, behind Klaus Darga, in Hoechst (third FRG-ch). In 1956, he won in Göteborg. In 1957, he took fourth in Dublin (zonal). The event was won by Luděk Pachman. In October 1959, he took second, behind Unzicker, in Nuremberg (5th FRG-ch). In 1963, he tied for first in Malaga. In 1964, he won in Wilderness. In 1964, he tied for fourth/fifth in Zürich. In 1968 in his home town of Bamberg, he tied for second place with Tigran Petrosian (who was world champion at the time), behind Paul Keres, an outcome described by the Oxford Companion to Chess as Schmid's greatest playing achievement. In 1970, he won in Mar del Plata. In 1971, he tied for second/fourth in Adelaide. In 1979, he tied for third/fourth in Lugano. In 1980, he won the BBC's The Master Game series.

Lothar Schmid played for West Germany at eleven Chess Olympiads.

• In 1950, at second board at the 9th Olympiad in Dubrovnik (+7 −1 =4)
• In 1952, at second board at the 10th Olympiad in Helsinki (+7 −1 =4)
• In 1954, at second board at the 11th Olympiad in Amsterdam (+6 −4 =3)
• In 1956, at second board at the 12th Olympiad in Moscow (+4 −2 =7)
• In 1958, at third board at the 13th Olympiad in Munich (+6 −3 =4)
• In 1960, at second board at the 14th Olympiad in Leipzig (+7 −2 =5)
• In 1962, at third board at the 15th Olympiad in Varna (+4 −2 =2)
• In 1964, at third board in at the 16th Olympiad Tel Aviv (+7 −2 =5)
• In 1968, at second board in at the 18th Olympiad Lugano (+6 −0 =6)
• In 1970, at second board in at the 19th Olympiad Siegen (+7 −1 =4)
• In 1974, at first board in at the 21st Olympiad Nice (+5 −3 =7)

Schmid in 2008

He won four individual silver medals (1950, 1952, 1968, 1970) and two team bronze medals (1950, 1964).

Schmid played for FRG team at twelve Clare Benedict Cup. He won nine gold, one silver, and two bronze medals in 1957–73.

He won first German Correspondence Championship (1950–52), won first Eduard Dyckhoff Memorial (1954–56), and came second with Lucius Endzelins, behind Viacheslav Ragozin, in the second World Correspondence Championship in (1956–59).

Schmid was awarded the IM title in 1951, and the GM and GMC titles in 1959.

Arbiter

Schmid is also a well known chess arbiter, awarded the International Arbiter (IA) title in 1975. He was the arbiter for the Fischer–Spassky 1972, Karpov–Korchnoi 1978, Kasparov–Karpov 1986 World Championship matches, and also Fischer–Spassky 1992 (the 'Revenge Match').

Notable chess games

• Lothar Schmid vs Walter Sahlmann, Essen 1948, 12th GER-ch, Sicilian, Chameleon, B20, 1–0
• Efim Bogoljubow vs Lothar Schmid, Bad Pyrmont 1949, 13th GER-ch, Scotch Game, Schmid Gambit, C47, 0–1 Desperado piece !
• Lothar Schmid vs Herman Steiner (USA), Dubrovnik 1950, 9th Olympiad, Sicilian, O'Kelly Variation, B28, 1–0
• Juan Carlos Gonzales Zamora (CUB) vs Lothar Schmid, Helsinki 1952, 10th Olympiad, English Opening, King's English Variation, Reversed Sicilian, A21, 0–1 Classical ending mastery.
• Lothar Schmid vs Paul Keres (URS), Tel Aviv 1964, 16th Olympiad, Ruy Lopez, Closed, C92, 1–0 After long and exhausting battle White broke down Black's resistance.
• Grantel Gibbs (HKG) vs Lothar Schmid, Lugano 1968, 18th Olympiad, Alekhine's Defense, B02, 0–1 Shortest decisive game of the Olympiad.
• Lothar Schmid vs Bent Larsen, San Juan 1969, Sicilian, Richter–Rauzer Variation, B60, 1–0
• Lothar Schmid vs Anton Kinzel (AUT), Siegen 1970, 19th Olympiad, Russian Game, Modern Attack, C43, 1–0 Best game prize!