Jan Foltys

 

    Jan Foltys (13 October 1908 – 11 March 1952) was a Czech International Master. Unfortunately his life was cut far too short, only 44 years, by leukemia.

Some results:
1933 - tied for 8-12th in the Czech championship and tied for 5-7th in Moravska Ostrava
1935 - tied for 5-7th in Luhačovice
1936 - 3rd in Poděbrady (14th Czech championship); the event was won by Salo Flohr
1937 - 4th in Margate; tied for 3rd-4th in Prague; tied for 2nd-4th in Rogaška Slatina; tied for 9-10th in Jurata (4th Polish Championship); the event was won by Savielly Tartakower.
1938 - 3rd in Prague (Czech championship); tied for 10-12th in Łódź; finished 11th in Ljubljana
1939 - 7th in Stuttgart (1st European Tournament); the event was won by Efim Bogoljubow.

Foltys played first board for Czechoslovakia at 3rd unofficial Chess Olympiad in Munich in 1936 (+7 –1 =11), at second board at the 7th Chess Olympiad in Stockholm in 1937 (+7 –2 =9), and at second board at the 8th Chess Olympiad in Buenos Aires in 1939 (+8 –3 =5). Altogether in these three events, in 53 games, he scored (+22 -6 =25), for 65.1 per cent.

During World War II, Foltys played in several strong tournaments.
1940 - won in Rakovnik
1941 - won ahead of József Szily and Ludovit Potuček in Trenčianske Teplice. Also in 1941 he took 7th in the Munich tournament; the event was won by Gösta Stoltz; he drew a match (6-6) with Karel Opočenský in Prague.
1942 - tied for 3rd-5th with Efim Bogoljubow and Kurt Richter, behind Alexander Alekhine, and Paul Keres, in Munich. Also, in December 1942, he took 3rd behind Alekhine and Klaus Junge in Prague (the Duras Jubileé Tournament).
1943 - tied for 4-5th in Prague; the event was won by Alekhine. 5th in Salzburg; the event was won by Keres and Alekhine. tied for 1st-2nd with František Zíta in Prague. 2nd, behind Čeněk Kottnauer in Zlín.
1944 - 4th in Brno

After the war, Foltys participated in many tournaments and team matches.
1946 - tied for 4-5th in Prague. The event was won by Miguel Najdorf. In 1946, he took 3rd, behind Luděk Pachman and Miroslav Katětov, in Ostrava, the Czech Champonship.
1948 - Foltys had his best tournament result at Karlovy Vary / Mariánské Lázně in 1948. In the same year, he took 3rd in Budapest.
1949 - tied for 1st with Stojan Puc in Vienna; tied for 4-7th in Venice; 6th in Trenčianske Teplice.
1950 - 7th in Szczawno Zdrój. 13th in Amsterdam. Awarded the International Master title.

He qualified in Mariánské Lázně in 1951 for the Interzonal of Stockholm 1952, but died at Ostrava in 1952 before it took place. In the following game, the final position is quite picturesque.