Hillar Kärner

Hillar Kärner (27 July 1935 – 19 February 2017) was an Estonian chess player, who seven times won the Estonian Chess Championship. International Master (1980).

Hillar Kärner was born on 27 July 1935 in Tallinn, Estonia. In 1953 Hillar Kärner graduated from the secondary school in Tallinn. In 1951 he won Estonian school children chess championship. Twice won Estonian rural sports associations chess championships (1965, 1966). In 1964 became a Soviet Master and in 1980 was fulfilled FIDE International Master norm in chess tournament in Bulgaria. In 1980 shared 1st place in Riga Cup. In Estonian Chess Championships he has won 7 gold (1970, 1975, 1977, 1983–85, 1987), 3 silver (1968, 1979, 1988) and bronze (1978) medals. Nine times Hillar Kärner played for Estonia in Soviet Team Chess Championships (1962-1967, 1972-1985) and once played for Estonian team «Jõud» in Soviet Team Chess Cup (1968). From 1973 to 1989 participated in the traditional international chess tournaments in Tallinn. The best place is shared 7th - 10th (1977). Since 1960s Hillar Kärner worked in Tallinn's Excavator factory, later the rural project institute «EKE Projektis» and Paul Keres House of Chess.

Hillar Kärner is the author of book - «Kuus aastakümmet Caissa lummuses» («Six decades under the spell of Caissa»), Published by Argo, Tallinn, 2012, (ISBN 9789949466580).

• Hillar Karner vs Paul Keres Tallinn 1967 Victory over Estonia's all-times strongest chess player.
• Mikhail Tal vs Hillar Karner Piarnu 1971 Victory over World ex-champion.
• Hillar Karner vs Anatoly Karpov Moscow 1972 Victory over next World champion.
• Hillar Karner vs Mikhail Tal Tallinn 1983 Another victory over World ex-champion.