Wolfgang Unzicker was born in Pirmasens on 26 June 1925. His father was a teacher at the Theresien-Gymnasium in Munich and organised chess tournaments. Wolfgang Unzicker learned chess from him. In 1939, Wolfgang Unzicker was invited to a training course for talented players. In 1948, Unzicker studied law in Munich, first became a civil servant in the Bavarian government, and from 1971, a judge at the Administrative Court in Munich. Unzicker was never a professional, but in the 1950s and 1960s he was one of Germany's best players and among the world's elite, winning a number of tournaments. In the world-class tournament, the 2nd Piatigorsky Cup in 1966, he placed ahead of Tigran Petrosian, Samuel Reshevsky and Miguel Naidorf, among others. Between 1948 and 1965 Unzicker won the German Championship six times. Between 1950 and 1982 he played in thirteen Chess Olympiads for Germany, on the first or second board. At the 1950 Chess Olympiad he won the gold medal on board one. In 1950 and 1964 he won bronze with the team. Unzicker received numerous awards, including the "Bundesverdienstkreuz" in 1995. He died of heart failure on 20 April 2006 while on holiday in Portugal.
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