Wolfgang Pietzsch was a German chess grandmaster who was born on June 21, 1930 in Glogau, Lower Silesia, and died on August 23, 1996. He won the East German championship twice, once in 1954 and again in 1965. He secured the title International Master in 1960, before becoming an International Grandmaster in 1965.

Pietzsch tied for first place with Klaus Darga in the 1965 West German championship. That same year, he captured the grandmaster title at the Gotha zonal tournament. This made him the first grandmaster from East Germany. In 1966, he participated in the Chess Olympiad and represented East Germany in all the Olympiads from 1956 to 1970.

In 1970, he defeated World Champion Tigran Petrosian in a game that was widely celebrated. That same year, he tied for first place with Vlastimil Hort at Dresden.

Despite a promising chess career, Pietzsch retired from competitive chess in 1970 in order to pursue a more lucrative medical career. Unfortunately, Pietzsch was taken back by the authorities who criticized his decision and he was forbidden to leave East Germany. He passed away on 23 August 1996.