Salomon Flor Czechoslovakian and Soviet chess player, International Grandmaster (1950). Date of Birth: 21.11.1908

1. Early Life and Tragedy
2. Chess Career in Czechoslovakia
3. Pre-World War II Successes and Missed Opportunity
4. Emigration to the USSR
5. Later Career as Arbiter and Journalist

Early Life and Tragedy

Salo Flohr was born into a large Jewish family in the Galician town of Gorodenka, now Ukraine. In 1916, during an anti-Jewish pogrom, his parents, siblings, and sisters were killed. Only Salo and his older brother Moses survived and were transferred to an orphanage in Mikulov, Bohemia. After the formation of Czechoslovakia in 1918, they were raised by a rabbinical family in Beneshov.

Chess Career in Czechoslovakia

In 1924, Flohr moved to Prague, where he worked at a paper factory and joined the chess club "Prokescha." He defeated Richard Reti and Rudolf Spielmann in simultaneous exhibitions and participated in club and city tournaments. Flohr also wrote articles for Czech newspapers, establishing himself as a promising chess player on the world stage.

Pre-World War II Successes and Missed Opportunity

Flohr's victories in major tournaments earned him the right to challenge world champion Alekhine for the title. However, the occupation of Czechoslovakia by Nazi Germany prevented the match from taking place.

Emigration to the USSR

In 1939, Flohr relocated to the USSR, where he received Soviet citizenship in 1942. He participated in several Soviet championships and represented the country in international matches.

Later Career as Arbiter and Journalist

Flohr became a renowned arbiter, receiving the title of International Arbiter in 1963. He was also an accomplished journalist, serving as the chess reviewer for the magazine "Ogonyok" from 1951 to 1983.