Olof Kinnmark

Olof Kinnmark (29 March 1897 – 18 February 1970) was a Swedish chess master who represented his country in both national and international competitions from the 1920s through the 1940s. Though he never received an international title, he was a regular contender in key events and contributed to Swedish chess during a dynamic period.

Chess career

National achievements

Kinnmark gained national recognition by winning a tournament at Trollhättan in 1925, held in conjunction with that year's Swedish Chess Championship.^[1]

In 1932, he took 3rd place at a tournament held in Karlskrona, again showing his strength among domestic players.^[2]

International competition

In 1934, Kinnmark played in the Nordic Chess Championship in Copenhagen, placing 12th. The event was won by Aron Nimzowitsch, one of the leading chess masters of the era.^[1]

He was selected to represent Sweden at the 3rd unofficial Chess Olympiad held in Munich in 1936. Kinnmark scored +4 =3 –6 in the competition, contributing to Sweden's participation on the international stage.^[3]

War-era chess

During World War II, Kinnmark participated in the Europameisterschaft, Wertungsturnier (Qualification Tournament) held in Munich in 1942. The tournament was won by Gösta Danielsson, another top Swedish player of the time.^[4][5]

He also competed in the 1944 Swedish Chess Championship at Lidköping, which was won by Stig Lundholm.^[2]

Post-war activity

In the post-war era, Kinnmark took part in the Helsinki zonal tournament in 1947. This event was part of the World Chess Championship qualifying cycle and was jointly won by Gösta Stoltz and Eero Böök.^[2]

Legacy

While Olof Kinnmark did not attain international chess titles, his consistent participation in major events placed him among Sweden’s active players during a transitional period in European chess history. He is remembered today through records of Olympiads and national championships.^[3]