Vasja Pirc was awarded the title of Grandmaster by FIDE in 1953. From 1931 to 1957 he was one of the most successful members of the Yugoslav chess team, with which he participated in seven chess Olympics.
He won a gold medal with the national team at the 1950 Olympics in Dubrovnik, and two more bronze medals at the 1952 and 1954 Olympics. At the top of his chess career, he was among the ten strongest chess players in the world. For his work he received a state decoration and the Bloudek Award.
