Dr. Martin Christoffel was a Swiss chess champion born in Basel. In 1944 he won the Coupe Suisse knockout tournament. Christoffel won the Swiss Chess Championship in 1943, 1945, 1948, and 1952, and was joint champion with Jules Ehrat in 1942. In 1946, he represented Switzerland at the Groningen International Tournament - the first major Post WWII chess event but finished last.