Gunnar Friedemann (22 September 1909 in

Tallinn Tallinn is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Estonia, most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a Tallinn Bay, bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of (as of 2025) and ...

– 2 February 1944) was an

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

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.

Biography

Friedemann played several times in Estonian championships at Tallinn. In 1932, he tied for 3rd-4th with

Johannes Türn Johannes Türn (27 May 1899, in Tartu – 8 March 1993, in Tallinn) was an Estonian chess player. Biography Türn played in numerous Estonian Chess Championship, Estonian championships. In 1923, he took 2nd, behind Paul Rinne, in Tallinn (1st ES ...

(4th EST–ch,

Leho Laurine Leho Laurine (Leo Laurentius) (28 August 1904 in St. Petersburg – 31 January 1998 in Stockholm) was an Estonian chess master. He was Estonian Champion in 1932 (4th EST-ch), and took 3rd in 1935, behind Paul Keres, and Gunnar Friedemann (7th E ...

won). In 1933, he won the 5th EST–ch. In 1934, he took 3rd, behind

Ilmar Raud Ilmar Raud (30 April 1913 – 13 July 1941) was an Estonian chess master. Biography Raud was born in Viljandi, in the Governorate of Livonia of the Russian Empire (now Estonia). He played several times in the Estonian championships at Tallinn. I ...

and

Paul Felix Schmidt Paul Felix Schmidt ( – 11 August 1984) was an Estonian and German chess player, writer and chemist. Biography Schmidt was born in 1916, in Narva (then Russian Empire), two years before Estonia became an independent country. He excelled in ch ...

, at the 6th EST–ch. In 1935, he took 2nd, behind

Paul Keres Paul Keres (; 7 January 1916 – 5 June 1975) was an Estonian chess grandmaster and chess writer. He was among the world's top players from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s, and narrowly missed a chance at a World Chess Championship match on five ...

, at the 7th EST–ch. In 1935, he lost a match against Keres at Tallinn (+1 –2 =0). In 1939, he took 3rd at the 10th EST–ch (Raud won). Friedemann played for Estonia in

Chess Olympiad The Chess Olympiad is a biennial chess tournament in which teams representing nations of the world compete. FIDE organises the tournament and selects the host nation. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, FIDE held an Online Chess Olympiad in FIDE Onli ...

s: * In 1935, on second board in the

6th Chess Olympiad The 6th Chess Olympiad (), organized by the FIDE and comprising an openAlthough commonly referred to as the ''men's division'', this section is open to both male and female players. and (unofficial) women's tournament, as well as several events ...

in Warsaw (+6 –6 =7); * In 1936, on third board in 3rd unofficial Olympiad in Munich (+9 –5 =6); * In 1937, on reserve board in the

7th Chess Olympiad The 7th Chess Olympiad (), organized by the FIDE and comprising an open and (unofficial) women's tournament, as well as several events designed to promote the game of chess, took place between July 31 and August 14, 1937, in Stockholm Stock ...

in Stockholm (+6 –2 =5); * In 1939, on fourth board in the

8th Chess Olympiad The 8th Chess Olympiad (), organised by the Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE), comprised an open tournament, as well as a Women's World Championship contest. The main team event took place between August 21 and September 19, 1939, in ...

in Buenos Aires (+11 –3 =3). Estonia won bronze medal being very consistent and firm team at Buenos Aires 1939. Keres (1st board) and Friedemann (4th board) contributed mostly to the success. Friedemann won gold individual medal. During

World War II 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 twice played against Keres in team matches in 1940. He died in 1944 at the age of 34 while fighting for the

German Army The German Army (, 'army') is the land component of the armed forces of Federal Republic of Germany, Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German together with the German Navy, ''Marine'' (G ...

on the Eastern Front.

References

External links

Notable chess games

Gunnar Friedemann vs Paul Keres, Tallinn 1935, match, Queen's Gambit Declined, D52, 1-0

Gunnar Friedemann vs Chris De Ronde, Buenos Aires 1939, 8th Olympiad, Neo-Grünfeld, D78, 1-0

Paul Keres vs Gunnar Friedemann, Tallinn 1940, Queen's Indian, E17, ½–½
{{DEFAULTSORT:Friedemann, Gunnar 1909 births 1944 deaths Chess Olympiad competitors Place of death missing 20th-century Estonian chess players Estonian collaborators with Nazi Germany Estonian military personnel killed in action German Army personnel killed in World War II