Career

Stepan Popel was the nephew of an early master, Ignatz von Popiel (1863–1941), and took a liking to chess at an early age – he played in his first tournament at age 12. He went on to became the best chess player in the region and is now regarded as one of the important masters of pre-World World War II Europe. In 1931, he earned a masters degree in French and Latin language and literature from the University at Lviv.

He also acted, during World World War II, Greek-Catholic Metropolitan Andrew Sheptytsky’s personal secretary until 1944.

In 1935-1936, he took 9th at Correspondence Championship of Poland. In 1943, Popel published his handbook Poczatki szachista (Introduction to Chess) in Ukrainian at KrakóWest

In 1943, he tied for 1st with Myroslav Turiansky at Lviv (GG). Because of the Red Army’s approach, he did manage to avoid deportation to Siberia or any worse fate during the Soviet occupation (eg, that of Vladimirs Petrovs).

Joining the westward exodus in 1944, Stepan Popel wound up in KrakóWest

In 1944, he drew a match against Fedor Bogatyrchuk at Krakow (2: 2). At the end of war, he escaped to West. Finally, he came to France.

In 1951/52, he tied for 4th-6th at Hastings.

In 1954, he took 4th at Saarbrücken. In 1954/55, he played at international tournament at Paris.

In 1955/56, he took 2nd at Hastings (The Premier Reserves Major). In 1956, Popel was authorized to migrate to the United States. In 1958, he took 4th at North Central Open, and took 6th at Western Open.

Around 1960, Stepan Popel became a professor of French language and literature at North Dakota State University in Fargo.

In 1966, he took 2nd at a championship of Ukrainian Sport Centrale of America & Canada. Popel played the United States Open at Lincoln 1969, Atlantic City 1972, Chicago 1973, Columbus 1977. Popel died in 1987, and is buried in Fargo.

But his childhood town hasn’t forgotten him.

In 1996, the now Ukrainian city of Lviv hosted their first International Chess Tournament in memory of Stepan Popel. Stepan Popel vs Czarnecki, Paris 1947, Grünfeld Defense, D94, 1-0

Stepan Popel vs Daniel Yanofsky, Hastings 1951/52, King"s Indian Attack, Wahls Defense, A11, 1/2-1/2

Harry Golombek vs Stepan Popel, Hastings 1951/52, English Opening, A16, 0-1

Maurice Raizman vs Stepan Popel, Paris 1953, Neo-Grünfeld Defense, Main line, D79, 0-1

Robert James Fischer vs Stephan Popel, Oklahoma City 1956, United States-Open, King"s Indian Attack, Symmterical Defense, A05, 1/2-1/2.

Achievements

• In 1929, Popel won a championship of Lviv, followed by E. Kaufman, Henryk Friedman, Oskar Piotrowski, et cetera In 1943, he won at Sambor (GG). In 1944, he won at Sanok (GG). In 1950/51, Popel won at Hastings (Premier Reserve Major). In 1951, he won the 26th Paris City Chess Championship. In April 1953, he won, ahead of Maurice Raizman, the 28th Championship of Paris. In 1954, he won the 29th Championship of Paris. As an American master, he won three times the Michigan state championship, in 1957, 1958, and 1959. He also won the North Central Open at Wisconsin in 1957, where his young competitor Bobby Fischer took 6th place. Both those events were won by Pal Benko. He continued to enter tournaments, and he became eleven-time North Dakota champion (from 1965 to 1980). In 1969, he won a championship of USCA&C. In 1970, he took 3rd at North Central Open. In 1986, he tied for 5th-8 th at a championship of USCA&C. The event was won by Orest Popovych.

Membership

In 1929 and 1934, he was a member of Lviv team at 1st and 2nd Polish team championships. In 1934, he was a member of Polish team at Correspondence Olympiad.