Stepan Popel - Citizendia

Stepan (Stefan, Stephan, Stephen) Popel (Popiel) (15 August 1909–27 December 1987) was a multiple chess champion of Lviv, Paris and eventually, of the Ukrainians in North America (USA and Canada). Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed Year 1909 ( MCMIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Events 537 - The Hagia Sophia is completed 1512 - The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) Chess is a recreational and competitive Game played between two players. He was born in Komarniki, Galicia, Austria-Hungary (now Ukraine) and died December 1987 in Fargo, North Dakota, USA). Galicia (Галичина ( Halychyna) Galicja is a historical region in East Central Europe, currently divided between Poland and Ukraine, Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. Fargo is a city in Cass County, North Dakota in the United States.

Biography

Stepan Popel was the nephew of an early master, Ignatz von Popiel (1863-1941), and took a liking to chess at an early age – he played in his first tournament at age 12. Ignatz (Ignaz Ignacy von Popiel ( 27 July 1863 in Galicia, Austria-Hungary – 2 May 1941) was a Polish-Ukrainian He went on to became the best chess player in the region and is now regarded as one of the important masters of pre-World War II Europe. In 1931, he earned a masters degree in French and Latin language and literature from the University at Lviv. He also acted, during WW II, Greek-Catholic Metropolitan Andrew Sheptytsky’s personal secretary until 1944. Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky (Митрополит Андрей Шептицький July 29, 1865 &mdash November 1, 1944) was the Metropolitan

In 1929, Popel won a championship of Lviv, followed by Kaufman, Henryk Friedman, Piotrowski, etc. Henryk Friedman (Friedmann (1903 – 1942 was a Polish chess master In 1929 and 1934, he was a member of Lviv team at 1st and 2nd Polish team championships. In 1934, he was a member of Polish team at Correspondence Olympiad. In 1935-1936, he took 9th at Correspondence Championship of Poland.

In 1943, Popel published his handbook Poczatki szachista (Introduction to Chess) in Ukrainian at Krakow. In 1943, he tied for 1st with Myroslav Turiansky at Lviv (GG). Myroslav (Miroslav Turiansky (10 October 1912 Rudky near Lviv - 28 December 1998 Radekhiv near Lviv was an Ukrainian chess master In 1943, he won at Sambor (GG). In 1944, he won at Sanok (GG). Because of the Red Army’s approach, he did manage to avoid deportation to Siberia or any worse fate during the Soviet occupation (e. g. , that of Vladimirs Petrovs). Vladimirs Petrovs or Vladimir Petrov ( 27 September 1907 – 26 August 1943 at Kotlas was a Latvian chess master Joining the westward exodus in 1944, Stepan Popel wound up in Krakow. In 1944, he drew a match against Fedor Bogatyrchuk at Krakow (2 : 2). Fedor Parfen'evych Bogatyrchuk (Bogatirchuk Bohatirchuk Bogatyrtschuk Bohatyrchuk Bohatyrczuk (in Russian: Фёдор Парфеньевич Богатырчук At the end of war, he escaped to West. Finally, he came to France.

In 1950/51, Popel won at Hastings (Premier Reserve Major). In 1951, he won the 26th Paris City Chess Championship. The first Paris City Chess Championship was held in 1925 In 1951/52, he tied for 4th-6th at Hastings. In April 1953, he won, ahead of Maurice Raizman, the 28th Championship of Paris. Maurice Raizman (né Miron Raizman (26 February 1905 Bendery – 1 April 1974 Paris) was a French Chess master In 1954, he won the 29th Championship of Paris. In 1954, he took 4th at Saarbrücken. In 1954/55, he played at international tournament at Paris. In 1955/56, he took 2nd at Hastings (The Premier Reserves Major).

In 1956, Popel was authorized to migrate to the US. As an American master, he won three times the Michigan state championships of 1957, 1958, and 1959. He also won the North Central Open at Wisconsin in 1957, where his young competitor Bobby Fischer took 6th place. Robert James "Bobby" Fischer ( March 9 1943 – January 17 2008) was an American -born Chess Grandmaster In 1958, he took 4th at North Central Open, and took 6th at Western Open. Both those events were won by Pal Benko. Pal Benko ( Hungarian: Benkő Pál, born July 14, 1928 in Amiens) is a Chess grandmaster, author and Around 1960, Stepan Popel became a professor of French language and literature at North Dakota State University in Fargo. He continued to enter tournaments, and he became eleven-time North Dakota champion (from 1965 to 1980). In 1966, he took 2nd at a championship of Ukrainian Sport Centrale of America & Canada. In 1969, he won a championship of USCA&C. In 1970, he took 3rd at North Central Open. Popel played the US Open at Lincoln 1969, Atlantic City 1972, Chicago 1973, Columbus 1977. In 1986, he tied for 5th-8 th at a championship of USCA&C. The event was won by Orest Popovych.

Popel died in 1987, and is buried at Fargo. But his childhood town hasn’t forgotten him. In 1996, the now Ukrainian city of Lviv hosted their first International Chess Tournament in memory of Stepan Popel.

Notable chess games

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