Jan Kleczyński, Sr.

Who was Jan Kleczyński, Sr.?

Jan Kleczyński was a Polish pianist, composer, journalist and chess master.

Born into a Polish noble family in Janiewicze, Volhynia, he was graduated from a conservatory of music in Paris and then played several pianist concerts in France. In 1866, he returned to Poland to live in Warsaw.

He took 2nd, behind Szymon Winawer, in the first Warsaw City Chess Championship in 1868, and took 3rd, after Józef Żabiński and Artur Popławski, in the second Warsaw-ch in 1884.

Jan Kleczyński Senior wrote a weekly chess column for Tygodnik Ilustrowany, and Kurier Warszawski. His son, Jan Kleczyński, Jr., continued his work in 1897-1939.