Roberto Grau facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Roberto Gabriel Grau
Born	18 March 1900 Argentina, Buenos Aires
Died	12 April 1944, age 44 Argentina, Buenos Aires
Nationality	Argentine
Occupation	chess player
Awards	Argentine Chess Championship

Roberto Gabriel Grau (born March 18, 1900 – died April 12, 1944) was a very skilled Argentine chess player. He was born and passed away in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In the late 1920s, he was known as the best chess player in Argentina.

Roberto Grau's Chess Journey

Roberto Grau played in many important chess events. He competed in several Argentine championships.

Winning Argentine Chess Championships

• In 1926, he won the championship in Buenos Aires. He also won a special match against Damian Reca to keep his title.
• He became the Argentine Champion again in 1927 and 1928.
• Grau won the championship once more in 1934. He also won a match against Luis Piazzini that year.
• In 1935, he won the championship and a match against Jacobo Bolbochán.
• His last championship win was in 1938, followed by a match victory against Carlos Guimard in 1939.

Top Finishes in Tournaments

Roberto Grau also did very well in many chess tournaments:

• In 1921/22, he won a big tournament in Montevideo, called the Torneo Sudamericano.
• He won another tournament in Buenos Aires in 1923.
• In 1924, he came in second place in a tournament in Paris, right after the famous player Max Euwe.
• He won the first international tournament in Mar del Plata in 1928.
• In 1929, he won a tournament in Rosario.
• In 1930, he placed high in Buenos Aires, tying for second and third place.

Playing for Argentina: Chess Olympiads

Grau proudly represented Argentina in several Chess Olympiads. These are like the Olympic Games for chess players, where teams from different countries compete.

• In 1924, he played on the first board for Argentina in the first unofficial Chess Olympiad in Paris.
• He continued to play on the first board in the official 1st Chess Olympiad in London in 1927.
• In 1928, he played as a reserve player in The Hague.
• He returned to the first board for the 6th Chess Olympiad in Warsaw in 1935.
• In 1937, he played on the third board in Stockholm.
• His last Olympiad was in 1939, where he played on the first board in Buenos Aires.

Contributions to Chess

Roberto Grau was not just a player; he also helped shape the world of chess.

• He was one of the first people to sign up and help create FIDE in Paris in 1924. FIDE is the international organization that governs chess competitions.
• He wrote a very important four-book series about chess called "Tratado General de Ajedrez" (General Treatise on Chess). These books were first published in 1940.
• There is even a special chess opening move sequence named after him, called the "Grau gambit." It starts with the moves 1. d4 d5 2. c4 Bf5 3. Qb3 e5.

See also

In Spanish: Roberto Grau para niños