In 1945 to 1952, Jiří Podgorný worked as teacher of Russian language, then he was employed as documentator in Energoprojekt. In 1955 he became chief editor of the paper Československý šach (Czechoslovak Chess), where he stayed till the retirement in 1974.

Jiří Podgorný learnt to play chess at school and in 1931 he participated the correspondant tournament of an prestigious Austrian chess paper Wiener Schachzeitung. From 1935 to 1940, he used to play in the tournaments of Brno´s championship, and because he won it in 1940 and then won also the region championship, he was invited to master´s tournament during the congress of Czech Chess Union (ÚJČŠ) in Rakovník in 1940. During the Second World War he played on the most important Prague tournaments, where he faced also the World Champion Alexandr Aljechin or Paul Keres.

He got the title of chess Master on the main tournaments of ÚJČŠ in Brno in 1944. Two years later, he won the Championship of Prague. In 1948, he participated the international tournament in Karlovy Vary and Mariánské Lázně. Two years later he won the Prague Championship. In the 50ties he left the practical tournament´s game and he returned to the correspondant chess, which he was starting with and where he becomes an International Master.

Jiří Podgorný is the author of several chess books (Zápas Praha – Moskva 1946, Turnaj Západočeských lázní 1948, Životní dílo Oldřicha Durase, Životní dílo Jana Foltydse and Králové šachového světa). He died on the 15th of January 1987 in Prague.