profile of the patron
Grandmaster Włodzimierz Schmidt
(1943–2023)
On April 1, 2023, the chess world mourned the loss of Włodzimierz Schmidt, the most distinguished Polish Grandmaster of the 20th and 21st centuries. In 1976, he made history as the first Polish player to be awarded the title of Grandmaster by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) after meeting all formal requirements.
A proud native of Poznań, Grandmaster Schmidt won numerous medals in the Individual and Team Polish Championships across classical, rapid, and blitz formats. He represented Poland on the global stage, competing in European and World Championships as well as the Chess Olympiads.
We encourage you to read more about his life and career on Wikipedia, explore a summary of his achievements on the Szachy w Polsce website.
History of the Memorial
In 2023, as part of the Poznań Summer Chess Festival, the Chess Club planned to host the 2nd International Master Zbigniew Doda Memorial. However, following the passing of Grandmaster Włodzimierz Schmidt, the Doda Memorial was rescheduled for the winter season, and the July event was instead dedicated to honoring the memory of the late Grandmaster Schmidt.
The following year, in cooperation with the family of the late Grandmaster, we organized the 1st Grandmaster Włodzimierz Schmidt Memorial as part of the Poznań Summer Chess Festival. Knowing how much the Grandmaster valued supporting the development of talented young players, we decided to hold the Memorial in a round-robin format for a Grandmaster (GM) norm.
The winner of the inaugural edition was a former student of Grandmaster Schmidt, Grandmaster Jacek Tomczak. The subsequent edition was won by International Master Łukasz Licznerski. His victory was a double success, as he also achieved a Grandmaster norm during the event.
Detailed Results:
2024 – GM Włodzimierz Schmidt Memorial – round robin tournament with GM norm – ChessManager
2025 – II GM Włodzimierz Schmidt Memorial – round robin tournament with GM norm – ChessManager