Edgar Walther


Edgar Walther, was a Swiss FIDE master an International Correspondence Chess Master, Chess Olympiad individual medalist.

Biography

Edgar Walther three times won the Swiss Confederation Chess Championships. In 1965, he was the best in the Swiss Cup. In 1965, he won first place in the Swiss Chess Championship, but lost additional match. Between 1953 and 2007, he participated in Swiss team championships with one club - Zürich Chess Club, which is considered to be an unparalleled record in Swiss chess history. In 1968, he won the Swiss Chess Team Championship with his club.
He became more widely known for his participation in the Zürich International Chess Tournament of 1959. Though Valter shared only 13th place, however, he played an undecided party with the next World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer, in which Fischer was only able to avoid of the loss the various colors bishops endgame. In 1969, Fischer included this party in his book My 60 Memorable Games.
Edgar Walther played for Switzerland in the Chess Olympiads:
Also Edgar Walther played for Switzerland in the Clare Benedict Chess Cups. In team competition he won gold and bronze medals but in individual competition he won two gold medals.
In later years, Edgar Walther active participated in correspondence chess tournaments. He won the Goldenen Springer tournament and won Swiss Correspondence Chess Championship. Edgar Walther successfully participated in the 8th World Correspondence Chess Championship semi-final, where he shared 1st-2nd place, but in the championship final he shared 11th-12th place. In 1978, Edgar Walther was awarded the International Correspondence Chess Master title.