Jörg Hickl is a German chess Grandmaster and chess author. Born on 16th April 1965 in Heidelberg, Germany, Hickl garnered significant attention in the world of chess throughout his career and won the German Chess Championship twice. He earned his International Master title in 1985 and his Grandmaster title in 1988, both from FIDE, the international chess federation.
He has represented Germany in numerous team competitions including the Chess Olympiad, the European Team Chess Championship, and the World Team Chess Championship, all of which he has placed well in. In the 1990 Chess Olympiad, he was part of the German team that won the bronze medal. Besides, Hickl took first place at the Manila Interzonal tournament in 1990 and played at the Chess World Cup in 1991 where he reached the second round.
In 1999, Hickl won the tournament of the powerful series of the Politiken Cup in Copenhagen. He is deemed the best ever player in the German speed chess championship, "Blitzschachmeisterschaft", as he has won it a record nine times.
Apart from competitive chess, Hickl has also made significant contributions in writing, authored several chess books, and has worked in the field of chess software. He is also the operator of the first German chess server, and the manager of a chess school. In 2015, he became the manager of a German chess club, Schachfreunde Deizisau.