István Bilek was a famous Hungarian chess player who was born on 11 August 1932 and died on 20 March 2010. He became an International Master and Grandmaster, as well as serving as a chess writer for the newspaper Magyar Hírlap.
Bilek competed in twelve Hungarian Championships, earning first place in 1963 and 1965. He also participated in the Interzonal tournaments in 1962 and 1964, securing third place. He was a member of the Hungarian team that competed in the Chess Olympiads and won three team silver medals, contributing individually by earning a bronze in 1970.
Throughout his career, he defeated several world champions including Mikhail Tal, Tigran Petrosian, and Bobby Fischer. Despite his exceptional performances, he never became World Chess Champion due to constraints in his personal life.
After retiring from professional chess, Bilek became a chess coach, training several young players. He also wrote a popular weekly chess column in the Hungarian newspaper. He remained active in the world of chess until his death at the age of 78. The cause of his death was not mentioned.