Kazimierz Makarczyk

Kazimierz Makarczyk ( born January 1, 1901 in Warsaw, † May 27, 1972 in Łódź) was a Polish chess master. He was gold medalist at a Chess Olympiad.

Makarczyk included a philosophy studies at the Warsaw University. Already as a student he took part in the chess life like Warsaw, after graduating, he was considered one of the leading players in Warsaw. In 1926 he took part in the inaugural championship of Poland. He was tenth. A year later he celebrated a great success in the next Polish Championship in Łódź, as he finished third after the Grand Masters Akiba Rubinstein and Tartakower Savielly. In 1928 he played on the first board of the Polish team at the Chess Olympiad in The Hague, where he won with his home bronze. He was a 1930 addition to Akiba Rubinstein, Tartakower Savielly, Dawid Przepiórka and Paulino Frydman of the Olympic team of Poland, which won the gold medal in Hamburg. On the whole Makarczyk won five chess Olympiads a team gold, one team silver and two bronze. He played a total of 68 appearances for Poland with a result of 59.6 % ( 25, -12, = 31). In 1936 he was a member of the Polish selection at the unofficial Chess Olympiad in Berlin, which was held on the occasion of the Olympic Games in 1936, when Poland to Hungary was second.

After the Second World War Makarczyk was one of the few Polish chess master, who continued their chess career in the home. In the years 1946 to 1954, he participated in all individual championships in Poland. In 1948, he won the regional championship in Krakow, where he proved brilliant style and Stanisław Gawlikowski and Bogdan Śliwa left behind. In 1952, he was close to a repeat of this triumph, as he shared after the tournament square one with Bogdan Śliwa. In the ensuing tie-break at six games, however Makarczyk defeated with 2:4. In the same year he suffered one of the bitterest disappointments of his life when he was excluded together with Stanisław Gawlikowski for political unreliability of the Olympic Team, which took in Helsinki in 1952. Besides Kazimierz Plater Makarczyk would have been the second International Master in the national team. He received the title in 1950 by FIDE. The two line-toeing substitute Andrzej Pytlakowski and Władysław Litmanowicz scored only one point in common by each drew with a game and all the other lost.

After 1954 Makarczyk took less and less part in tournaments; he focused on the training of young people. Due to its high chess skills and rich experience, he was a highly respected coach. As a player, he preferred a mature style position.