The main organiser of Salzburg 1942, Ehrhardt Post, the Chief Executive of Nazi Grossdeutscher Schachbund, intended to bring together the six strongest players of Germany, the occupied and neutral European countries; world champion Alexander Alekhine, former champion Max Euwe, challenger Paul Keres, former challenger Efim Bogoljubov, winner of European tournament at Munich 1941 Gösta Stoltz, and German champion Paul Felix Schmidt.
[2] The final results and standings:[3] Klaus Junge was a lieutenant of the 12th SS Battalion defending Hamburg.
[6] According to Dr Robert Hübner, Klaus Junge was the greatest German chess talent in the 20th century.
After World War II, he won – among others – at Bad Pyrmont 1949 (Western zone championship), played at Southsea 1950, Birmingham 1951, and Belgrade 1952.
Fortunately, Keres managed to avoid deportation to Siberia or any worse fate (e.g., that of Vladimirs Petrovs) – a letter to Viacheslav Molotov spared his life – but his return to the international chess scene was delayed, in spite of his excellent form.
He returned to international play in World Chess Championship 1948 but, as some historians argue, had to lose to Mikhail Botvinnik.
Paul F. Schmidt earned a PhD in chemistry from Heidelberg University in 1951, and moved to Canada, then to the United States, settling in Philadelphia, where he took a job as a professor.