Klaus visited St. Jospeh's Middle School's Chess Club a few years ago to share his thoughts and suggestions on chess.  He told the story of his youth under the Nazi regime; surviving the Dresden fire bombing; and later, escaping the communist government in East Germany.  His talk became a living history lesson where you could hear a pin drop.  He was very generous in sharing his time with young players and would attend the Greenville Scholastic Chess tournaments often.  It was an honor to be associated with Klaus.

To Nikki, Barbra, Ursula and family,
Our sincere condolences at this sad time.
Mike, Franca & family


I had the pleasure and honor to see Klaus play strong and interesting chess games almost every week for 3 years.  It was clear that he loved the game and was a good friend of the regular players.  He will be missed.  

At the chess level, I played tens of games against SC Champion, Klaus Pohl, and, expectedly, lost most of them.

Klaus was not only brilliant in chess in terms of winning and achievements, but also he showed a deep understanding and sense of chess inherent beauty. Actually in some games, I got distracted and/or overwhelmed by his beautiful style and outstanding ideas. I remember him making a lot of deep statements about chess, such as “chess is what you see not what you think” , “the most complex position in chess is the start position” …etc.

 

At the human level, he was a respectful man.  I really liked and respected him. He often asked me “how is life treating you?” a question that showed care and warmth.

My deep condolences to Mr. Pohl’s family.

Klaus, you played your last surprise move and you hit the clock, now it is our turn to move.

 Our comfort is the clock is ticking. Farewell champ!

I have known Klaus for44 years.  I first met him in 1977 at a chess tournament in Columbia, SC.  We played in the fifth and final round of the tournament to determine the winner. As was usual when we played, Klaus won. Our rivalry on the chessboard continued for the next 44 years as well.  For most of those early years, he was always the number 1 ranked player in South Carolina and I was the number 2 ranked player.  However, we never allowed our chess rivalry to get in the way of a true friendship.  We both lived in Greenville, therefore we could get  together frequently on a social basis as well. I well remember going to his home for a two or three hour blitz chess session.  He also would ride his bike to my house many times for the same.  We called them our Bier Schach afternoons.  He did enjoy his beer and sausages -he was German, after all!  I, on the other hand, mostly looked forward to his beautiful wife Uschi's homemade pound cake - hot out of the oven.  She knew I loved sweets, and she always had delicious treats available.

Klaus loved his family.  He was so proud of his two daughters, Nikki and Barbra.  He could never stop talking about their sharp intellects and accomplishments.  Our friendship did not consist entirely of only speed chess and beer.  We also frequently met on the tennis courts in earlier years.  We were very close competitors in those encounters as well.

I will miss my friend, rival, and fellow competitor very much. We recently played our last game together six weeks ago at the SC State Chess Championship.  I never for a minute thought it would be our final game. His absence will be notable at future tournaments. He was a chess fixture at tournaments in Georgia, North and South Carolina.  He will be missed by all.

Ruhe Frieden mein Freund!

Just received this news! My prayers and condolences to the family.  He was a tremendous person with a brain of brilliance; even though I thought he was much younger because he played Chess with mastermind of a younger man . He was always kind and supportive of knowledge and skill. He will be missed on the Chess board but He is with the True ChessMaster; the ONE who skillfully and strategically designed this universe.  God Almighty.  May God bless you all!!


Klaus was without question one of the most respected chess players in the history of South Carolina, with numerous state championship titles spanning several decades.  I was fortunate to have the opportunity to play dozens of games against him over the years, many times at the Greenville Chess Club but also several times during weekend tournaments.

As others have pointed out, there is much more to Klaus's life than just his chess notoriety.  He will be sorely missed by those in the chess community and certainly by many outside of it as well.  May he rest in peace, and my deepest condolences go out to his family.

I remember Klaus personally and by reputation as a chess player.  He always had a keen wit and a kind heart.  My condolences go out to the Pohl family:  Nikki, Barbara, Ursula and their families.  Know that you will be in my thoughts. 

Everyone Loved Klaus Pohl. He lighted up our lives.  He helped both the young and the old.  He had an I can attitude. He was fun to be around. We will all miss him a lot.

Even  if  Klaus  had  not  created  a  remarkable  life  in  the  chess  community,  we  would  still  regard  him  with  great  admiration  for  all  his  achievements  after  surviving  the  firebombing  of  Dresden.
May  he   now  enjoy  peace.

Me and my family are very saddened to know that  NM Klaus is no more!

I vividly remember watching him play every thursday at Barnes & Nobles on Woodruff road very enthusiastically  even with younger/amateur players including my kids. 

He gave immense inspiration to many little kids, the kids are overwhelmed with joy at the opportunity to play chess with him. I still did not forget the day my son played him 1st time. This picture here is still his favorites.  For him and many other kids 'Playing with Klaus is like playing with world chess champion'

A passionate chess lover, Klaus will always be remembered as the tallest tower of South Carolina chess for generations of chess to come!

Deepest condolences from our family to NM Klaus's family.

Regards 
Sri J 

I will remember him for his love of the 4H program.  He always donated any winnings in our fund raiser tournaments back into the program.  

My deepest condolences to the Phol Family,

I’d known Klaus, circumstantially and later, as my mentor, for many years. He was always willing to give me advice and check up on my chess & academic progress.

Several years ago, he took it upon himself to coach me in chess free of charge, imparting his many years of experience & knowledge, as well as sharing so many resources he personally collected over the years - I credit this to much of my success in the world of competitive chess. 

Klaus was never afraid to speak his mind, and tell it like it was. His act of kindness & generosity profoundly affected me, and was an astounding exemplification of his inner character. 

The news of his passing saddens me greatly. He was always sharp as a tack, and even in his later years, he was hard to keep up with both physically and mentally. Mine is only one life this amazing man touched, but rest assured Klaus lived a life of kindness and generosity that many of us hope to follow in.

Ursula, Nikki, Barbara,
   Please accept our deepest sympathy and condolences. I will always have pleasant memories of Klaus from playing each other is the many Chess tournaments  that we drove to.  Roselie  and I appreciated having Klaus as our best man at our wedding. Somewhere Klaus is looking down on us  and maybe reading this. I have one last message "Klaus,go ahead and press my clock,I will be along eventually and we will play another game"..
     Neal Harris

My most sincere condolences to Klaus’s family. I always looked forward to playing him on Thursdays at Barnes and Noble in Greenville. He was the fiercest competitor on the board and the sweetest grandfather type of figure asking about my small children and providing me tips on how to raise them with strong values, which of course, included chess.  

Dear Ursula, Barbra, Nicola, and all of your families, I am deeply sorry for your loss in Klaus's passing. I recall struggling to keep pace with him in our walks together, and sharing in lively conversations when we traveled together to chess tournaments! He was proud of all of you, and told me so many times.  So, one night in a shared hotel room during a tournament, I quietly awoke at 4AM and stared at the ceiling. From the bed across the room I heard, "So the Rook goes from b1 to b3 to attack the pawn at c3?" "No Klaus, it goes to b4, then c4, like a shark circling its prey." "That's right!" The one time I ever corrected him on a matter of chess. Then back to sleep. Sleep well, old friend.

OBITUARY

Klaus Pohl

April 1, 1937 – January 9, 2021

Mackey Funerals and Cremations at Century Drive

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