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Schmid is cited as one of the brightest minds to come out of Germany, and is recognized for serving as the chief arbiter the ‘Match of the Century’ between Spassky and Fischer.
Lothar Schmid. (X)
A collection of Chess memorabilia that belonged to the legendary German GM Lothar Schmid will be up on auction at Sotheby’s in London in the month of April.
Schmid is often cited as one of the brightest chess minds to come out of Germany, and is widely recognized for serving as the chief arbiter of the legendary 1972 World Chess Championship match, dubbed the ‘Match of the Century’, between Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union and the American Bobby Fischer in Reykjavik.
The collection, which were harboured at Schmid house in Bamberg in southern Germany, have been put up for auction by his thee children.
The collection up for auction includes many of the chess books, including Spanish player Luis Ramírez de Lucena’s ‘Repetición de Amores y Arte de Ajedrez’, which dates back to 1497.
“He was crazy for the game and everything to do with it. He travelled to five continents to buy up artefacts he had fallen in love with, once to South America for a book he told us children was as expensive as a house,” Bernard Schmid, the GM’s son said.
“He was a very charming person, very urbane. When they were looking for a referee it had to be someone who was measured, and politically neutral. He knew and respected both men well and was well liked himself, so he was considered to fit the bill, and he accepted,” Bernard added.
Bernard also added that his mum, Ingrid, went along with Schmid’s penchant for collecting books related to the sport he loved.
“Like everyone who knew him, she saw it as his little addiction, but in a positive sense. Some people buy property, my father bought chess books and artefacts.”
“To have something that has engrossed humanity for centuries is particularly compelling in our world. It’s based not on luck but pure strategy, and is also nicely predictable because everyone knows what the rules are. That’s quite anchoring,” Sotheby’s Gabriel Heaton said.
March 09, 2026, 14:24 IST
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