Steven Bellens 16.05.2025 1
On May 12, 2025, the most famous chess player who ever played for the Neerpelter Chess Circle (NSK) died. Grandmaster Vlastimil Hort was 81 years old, he was once No. 6 in the world rankings and was champion of the then Czechoslovakia several times, and after he emigrated to Germany, also champion of Germany three times. He was also the best “simultaneous player” in the world; in Cologne in 1986 he played simultaneous chess on 636 boards, which was included in the Guinness Book of Records. Besides chess itself, he also wrote many chess books as well as one detective story.
In Neerpelt, he was affiliated from 1990 through 1994. He remained loyal to Neerpelt, coming there several times to give a simultaneous session. For 35 years he was also a close friend of the NSK president. Just before his death, after a lingering illness, he gave permission for NSK to be named after him. So from now on NSK is called Neerpelter Schaakkring Vlastimil Hort.
A great article featuring a decisive match of his career can be found here.
StefanT
02.05.2026 - 21:02Dank je Vlastimil je was de enigste grootmeester die me deed meekijken in de grootmeester schaaklogic. Onvergetelijke momenten op TV (“Schach Der Grossmeister”) , pure folklore , apart duits accent, gevoel voor humor en ongelooflijke verhalen o.a. gebundeld in “my chess stories”.
Uw partijen tegen het russische blok vanuit een geschiedkundig pijnlijke achtergrond hebben het best in u bovengehaald en gemaakt tot wie je uiteindelijk werd, een plek in de top
in de jaren 70 en eeuwige roem.