Aleksandras Machtas

Who was Aleksandras Machtas?

Aleksandras Ziselis Machtas was a Lithuanian chess master.

He won 7 chess championships in the first independent republic of Lithuania :

in 1923,1924,1926,1927 and 1928

and again in 1931 and 1932.

More than any other Lithuanian chess player in the history of independent Lithuania.

Served as the general manager of the largest Jewish bank in the first Republic of Lithuania, " Centralinis Zydu Bankas " in Kaunas.

He twice played for Lithuania in Chess Olympiads:

In 1930, at first board in the 3rd Chess Olympiad in Hamburg;

The first ever chess player to represent Lithuania

as first board in a world chess Olympiad.

The first ever Lithuanian chess player to play in a formal match

against a reigning world chess champion

In 1935, at second board in the 6th Chess Olympiad in Warsaw.

He took 7th in the first Baltic Championship at Klaipėda 1931. The event was won by Isakas Vistaneckis.

In 1936, he emigrated with his family to Palestine.

In British Palestine and later on in Israel he founded and was the manager of the Industrial Bank in Tel-Aviv.