Augusts Strautmanis (July 11, 1907,

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

– January 8, 1990,

Ikšķile Ikšķile (, ; , or ; ; ) is a town in Ogre Municipality, in the Vidzeme region of Latvia. It was the first capital of the Roman Catholic Bishopric of Livonia, known by the List of German exonyms for places in Latvia, German name of Uexküll, ...

) was a Latvian

chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...

master.

Chess career

Augusts Strautmanis started to play chess at an early childhood under the guidance of his father. Already in 1926 at the Latvian Second Chess Congress, the new chess player won a high fourth place (after

Fricis Apšenieks Fricis Apšenieks ( Old orthography: ''Fritzis Apscheneek''; 7 April 1894 in Tetele, Courland Governorate – 25 April 1941 in Riga, Latvian SSR) was a Latvian chess master. Biography * In 1924, Apšenieks finished 2nd place, behind Hermanis Mat ...

Teodors Bergs Teodors Bergs (Theodore Berg) (27 July 1902, in Riga – 3 October 1966, in Riga) was a Latvian chess master. In 1926, he took 2nd, behind Vladimirs Petrovs, and shared 2nd, behind Fricis Apšenieks in Riga. He took 3rd at Riga 1930 (Movsas Feig ...

and

Vladimirs Petrovs Vladimirs Petrovs (; 27 September 1908 – 26 August 1943) was a Latvian Russian chess player. Biography He was born in Riga, in the Governorate of Livonia of the Russian Empire (present-day Latvia). Though he learned the game of chess relative ...

) and was included in the first independent Latvian team which participated at the

2nd Chess Olympiad The 2nd Chess Olympiad (), organized by the Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) and comprising an open and women's tournament, as well as several events designed to promote the game of chess, took place between July 21 and August 6, 192 ...

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in 1928. Augusts Strautmanis played at second board and got 7.5 points out of 16 possible (+6 -7 =3). In 1938/39 in the Latvian First Speed Chess Championship, where 1319 participants took part at various stages, Augusts Strautmanis becomes the winner. During the years of

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

he won the

Championship of 1943, shared the 3rd–6th place at the

Latvian Chess Championship The Latvian Chess Championship () is the annual national chess tournament of Latvia among men and women players, which was established in 1924. It is organized by the Latvian Chess Federation (), previously - Latvian Chess Union (). Histor ...

of the same year. Also, in the post-war years, Augusts Strautmanis continued to successfully participate in the

s – after the second place in 1946 (

Alexander Koblencs Alexander Koblencs (, , ; 3 September 1916, Riga – 9 December 1993, Berlin) was a Latvian chess master, trainer, and writer. He is best known as the trainer of the 1960-61 World Champion Mikhail Tal. In 1935, he took 4th place in Rosas ( Salo ...

won it) he became the Latvian Champion of 1948 (after winning the additional fight with

Igor Zhdanov Igor Nikolaevich Zhdanov (, ; July 27, 1920, Cesvaine – December 25, 1996, Rīga) is a Latvian/Soviet chess master who won the Latvian Chess Championship in 1943. Chess career Igor Zhdanov started to play chess at the age of eight and con ...

). At the USSR team championship semi-final of 1948 in Riga, Augusts Strautmanis represented the Latvian team. In 1949, at the Latvian championship he still shared the 3rd–4th place, but the last time Augusts Strautmanis played at the Latvian championship finals of 1951. In later years, Augusts Strautmanis did not take active part in important tournaments, but after opening of the Sports School at

Talsi district Talsi district () was a district of Latvia, located in Courland region, in the country's west. It was one of the former 26 rural districts of Latvia and it consisted of 20 local communities. Districts were eliminated on 20 June 2009 as the result ...

in 1954, he became a trainer of the chess section.

Lawyer career

Augusts Strautmanis graduated from the Second Gymnasium of Riga State in 1926 and then from the Economic Sciences and Law Faculty of the

University of Latvia University of Latvia (, shortened ''LU'') is a public research university located in Riga, Latvia. The university was established in 1919. History The University of Latvia, initially named as the Higher School of Latvia () was founded on Se ...

. The 1939th annual edition of "I know him" writes the following about August Strautmanis: "... chess player, Latvian speed chess master, assistant of attorney and assistant of solicitor in the Road department of the Ministry of Transport." After the

moved to

Talsi Talsi (; , ) (population 11,371) is a town in the Courland region of Latvia. It is the administrative centre of Talsi Municipality. It is nicknamed the "green pearl of Courland". Etymology It is believed that the name is derived from an old Livo ...

and until his death was a known lawyer.

Personal life

Augusts Strautmanis married in 1936; the family had four children. Under his literature teacher and poet Kārlis Krūza impression he had a deep interest in literature, and he also wrote poems and stories.

Notable games

Gerard Kroone vs Augusts Strautmanis, Olympiad 1928
"Distraught Man is Safe" – Chessgames.com game of the day 10.07.2010.
Augusts Strautmanis vs Luis Argentino Palau, Olympiad 1928
Very notable miniature where Strautmanis lost.
Augusts Strautmanis vs Mikhail Tal, Latvian Championship 1951
The epic battle with young Tal.

References

* Žuravļevs, N.; Dulbergs, I.; Kuzmičovs, G. (1980), Latvijas šahistu jaunrade, Rīga, Avots.(in Latvian), pp. 74 – 75.

External links

* *
Augusts Strautmanis
player profile at newinchess.com * {{DEFAULTSORT:Strautmanis, Augusts 1907 births 1990 deaths Chess players from Riga Latvian chess players Soviet chess players University of Latvia alumni Lawyers from Riga 20th-century Latvian lawyers