Burkhard Malich is a German international master of correspondence chess, an international arbiter, and a chess trainer.
Born on November 1, 1936, Malich was one of East Germany's leading chess players during the 1960s and 1970s. His chess career started to gain prominence in 1960 when he won the East German Chess Championship. He later on played for East Germany in six Chess Olympiads, and another six time in European Team Chess Championships.
In correspondence chess, Malich achieved the Grandmaster title in 1980. He earned second place in the World Championship finals, narrowly missing the world title.
Outside of the competition, Malich worked as a chess official in the German Democratic Republic (GDR) Chess Association. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, he continued to work for the reunified German Chess Federation.
Malich has also worked significantly as a chess trainer, training many prominent chess players in Germany including Thomas Pähtz, Tatiana Melamed, and Elisabeth Pähtz.
There is also some controversy surrounding Burkhard Malich. His political activities during the GDR-era and afterward led to criticisms. He is alleged to have written reports for the Stasi, the notorious secret police of East Germany for 40 years.
Malich was an active player in the Senior League of the German Chess Federation until he was 80 years old. He retired to Thuringia, Germany. His chess legacy is noted for his dedication to chess at both a competitive and administrative level.