Johannes Türn (27 May 1899, in

Tartu Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia after the Northern European country's political and financial capital, Tallinn. Tartu has a population of 91,407 (as of 2021). It is southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres (152 miles) northeast of ...

– 8 March 1993, in

Tallinn Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju ' ...

) was an

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

chess Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to disti ...

player.

Biography

Türn played in numerous Estonian championships. In 1923, he took 2nd, behind

Paul Rinne Paul Rinne (6 July 1889 in Narva – 1946 Hoyerswerda) was an Estonian chess player. He won the first Estonian Chess Championship, Estonian Championship at Tallinn 1923. He twice took second place, behind Johannes Türn, at Tallinn 1925 (second E ...

, in Tallinn (1st EST-ch). In 1925, he won in Tallinn (2nd EST-ch). In 1930, he took 2nd, behind

Vladas Mikėnas Vladas Mikėnas (17 April 1910 – 3 November 1992) was a Lithuanian chess player and journalist. He was awarded the titles of International Master and Honorary Grandmaster (chess), Grandmaster by FIDE. Early career Vladas Mikėnas played for ...

(3rd EST-ch). In 1932, he tied for 3rd-4th with

Gunnar Friedemann Gunnar Friedemann (22 September 1909 in Tallinn – 2 February 1944) was an Estonian chess master. Biography Friedemann played several times in Estonian championships at Tallinn. In 1932, he tied for 3rd-4th with Johannes Türn (4th EST–ch, L ...

, behind

Leho Laurine Leho Laurine (Leo Laurentius) (28 August 1904, St. Petersburg – 31 January 1998, 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 EST- ...

, and Rinne (4th EST-ch). In 1937, he took 3rd, behind

Paul Felix Schmidt Paul Felix Schmidt ( – 11 August 1984) was an Estonian and German chess player, writer and chemist. Biography In June 1935, Schmidt won, ahead of Paul Keres, at Tallinn. In May 1936, he drew a match against Keres (+3 –3 =1) at Pärnu. In 1 ...

, and

Ilmar Raud Ilmar Raud (30 April 1913 – 13 July 1941) was an Estonian chess master. Biography Raud was born in Viljandi, Estonia. He played several times in the Estonian championships at Tallinn. In 1933, he tied for 3rd-5th at the 5th EST–ch. The event ...

(9th EST-ch). In August/September 1936, he played on fourth board in the unofficial

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 2020 and ...

in Munich (+8 –4 =7). In July/August 1937, he played on fourth board at the

7th Chess Olympiad The 7th Chess Olympiad ( sv, Den 7:e Schackolympiad), 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 (+1 –6 =4). In August/September 1939, he played as first reserve at the

8th Chess Olympiad The 8th Chess Olympiad ( es, La 8a Olimpíada de ajedrez, link=no), 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 betwe ...

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

(+3 –3 =4), as the Estonian team won the bronze medal.OlimpBase Men's Chess Olympiads Johannes Türn
/ref> During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Türn played in the Estonian championships, although the country was occupied by either the Soviet Union or Germany. In 1941, he tied for 1st with

Feliks Kibbermann Feliks (Felix) Kibbermann (3 December 1902, in Rakvere – 27 December 1993, in Tartu) was an Estonian chess master, philologist of German language, lexicographer and pedagogue. Chess Before World War II, he tied for 3rd-5th with Ilmar Raud an ...

in Tallinn (11th EST-ch), but took the title after a play-off match (+3 –0 =1). In 1942, 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 ...

, in Tallinn (12th EST-ch). In 1944, he tied for 1st-2nd with

August Eller August Eller (1907, Viljandi – 1990, Haapsalu) was an Estonian chess player, who won the Estonian Chess Championship. Biography August Eller participated in two Estonian schoolchildren chess championships (1925, 1926). Best result was 4th plac ...

in Viljandi (14th EST-ch). He also played

draughts Checkers (American English), also known as draughts (; British English), is a group of strategy board games for two players which involve diagonal moves of uniform game pieces and mandatory captures by jumping over opponent pieces. Checkers ...

. In 1950 he co-won Estonian championship with Ülo Kesker. He was also co-author of the first Estonian book of draughts (''Kabemängu õpik'', 1951).

Notable chess games

Johannes Türn vs Paul Keres, Tallinn 1935, 7th EST-ch, French, MacCutcheon, Lasker Variation, C12, 1-0Johannes Türn vs Kazimierz Makarczyk, Munich 1936 (ol), Semi-Slav Defense, Marshall Gambit, D31, 1-0Johannes Türn vs Teodor Regedziński, Buenos Aires 1939, 8th Olympiad, Queen’s Gambit Declined, Semi-Tarrasch, D41, 1-0

References

External links

Johannes Türn at 365Chess.comBiography
in Estonian Sports Biographical Lexicon

{{DEFAULTSORT:Turn, Johannes 1899 births 1993 deaths Sportspeople from Tartu People from the Governorate of Livonia Estonian chess players Estonian draughts players 20th-century chess players Burials at Pärnamäe Cemetery