The history of chess in the 20th century has some enigmatic characters who are unknown to the general public. One of them is the Slovenian grandmaster Albin Planinc.
Planinc was working assembling bicycles in a factory in Ljubljana when he was invited to compete in the Vidmar Memorial Tournament in 1969. One of the invited players had canceled his participation at the last minute.
The foreigners did not know who he was. While they spent the mornings preparing, Planinc assembled the bicycles.
Even so, he finished the tournament in first place, ahead of renowned chess players such as Gligoric and Unzicker. More than that: the introverted young man showed brilliant chess, always fighting for the initiative and not afraid to sacrifice his pieces.
Unfortunately, his star did not shine for long. He had practically stopped playing by the end of the 1970s. For many, his taciturn and antisocial behavior were symptoms of depression.
The legacy of a chess player, even with few games, remains for generations. How can we not admire the works of art of this genius?
See below some of the best games of the Slovenian GM. The analyses are mine and were published here on the website:
Ljubojevic x Planinc
Bogdanovic x Planinc
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