Born in Poznań, Włodzimierz Schmidt became one of the most important figures in the history of Polish chess. He was the first Polish chess player to meet the requirements and earn the title of FIDE Grandmaster. He won the Polish classical chess championship seven times, represented Poland 14 times at the Chess Olympiads, and was considered one of the country’s absolute best in blitz chess. He won as many as 16 Polish championship titles, but there is more to these numbers than just his achievement in the field of chess.

The story of Poland’s first grandmaster began, of all things, with table tennis. Years later, Włodzimierz Schmidt recalled that as a boy he used to go to the recreation center at Poznań’s “Gazownictwo,” where people played table tennis. The rules were simple: the loser was out. And when young Włodzimierz was eliminated, he would move to a smaller room next door where people played chess. As he himself said, he compensated for his failures at the table by excelling at the chessboard. And he certainly did so brilliantly.

Schmidt was a symbol of work ethic, superb theoretical preparation, outstanding technique, and extraordinary reactions. He himself explained that a “chess player’s reactions” are not a simple reflex, but the ability to instantly assess a position, calculate variations, spot an opponent’s threats, and make a move—often in just a few seconds.

He was originally from Poznań, a Polish national team member, a grandmaster, a coach, an activist, and a man who helped shape the history of Polish chess for decades. Looking back on Grandmaster Włodzimierz Schmidt, we recall more than just his titles and medals. We recall the journey of a man who rose from a chessboard in a community center to a place in the pantheon of Poland’s greatest chess players.

We honor his memory, which attendees of the 3rd Grandmaster Włodzimierz Schmidt Memorial will celebrate this year. The competition begins on July 20. The tournament concludes on July 28.