Sonja Graf facts for kids

Susanna "Sonja" Graf (born December 16, 1908 – died March 6, 1965) was a famous chess player. She was from Germany and later became an American citizen. Sonja was almost a women's world champion. She also won the U.S. women's championship twice. In 2016, she was honored in the World Chess Hall of Fame.

Sonja Graf's Early Life and Chess Beginnings

Susanna Graf was born in Munich, Germany. Her parents, Josef and Susanna, were Volga Germans from Russia. They moved to Munich in 1906. Her father was a priest in Russia before becoming a painter. Sonja later shared that her father taught her chess when she was young. This game became a way for her to escape and feel free.

Sonja started spending all her time in chess cafés in Munich. She became known as a strong player there. Soon, she met a famous German chess master, Siegbert Tarrasch. He became her teacher and mentor. By the time she was 23, Sonja had beaten Rudolf Spielmann twice. She then decided to become a professional chess player. She began traveling across Europe to play in tournaments. This also helped her get away from the growing Nazi Party movement in Munich.

In the early 1900s, not many women played chess professionally. Sonja Graf enjoyed the attention her talent brought. She also loved the freedom of her new life. In 1934, she played against another top woman player, Vera Menchik. This was an unofficial match in Amsterdam. Later, they played an official world championship match in 1937. This match took place in Semmering, Austria. Sonja lost both matches to Vera.

Even though she lost, Sonja was invited to a special tournament in Prague. Usually, only male champions played in this event. She didn't win any games against the champions. But she did get a draw against the strong Estonian master, Paul Keres.

Life in Argentina and the United States

In 1939, Sonja Graf traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina. She was there to play in the Women's World Chess Championship 1939. This championship happened at the same time as the 8th Chess Olympiad. Sonja had openly spoken against Adolf Hitler's government. Because of this, she was removed from the list of German players. She played under a "Libre" flag, which means "free" in Spanish.

In September, while the tournament was still happening, Germany invaded Poland. This started World War II. It caused a lot of confusion in the chess competition. Some teams left, and others refused to play certain countries. Both Sonja Graf and Vera Menchik played through the whole tournament. Sonja won 16 games and lost 3, finishing in second place. She always regretted losing her game against Menchik. Sonja felt she had a winning position but made mistakes.

After the war began, Sonja Graf decided to stay in Argentina. Many other players from the Olympiad also chose to remain there for safety. She quickly learned the local Spanish language. She also fit into the culture well. Sonja wrote two books: Así juega una mujer (This Is How a Woman Plays), about her chess experiences, and Yo Soy Susann (I Am Susann), about her childhood.

In Argentina, she met Vernon Stevenson, a merchant mariner. They got married in 1947. The couple moved to Southern California, settling in Hollywood. Sonja started playing chess under the name Sonja Graf-Stevenson. She took a break from chess to have and raise her son, Alexander. Later, she returned to chess. In 1957, she shared the win of the U.S. Women's Chess Championship with Gisela Kahn Gresser.

Sonja and her family then moved to New York City's Greenwich Village. There, she taught chess lessons at Lisa Lane's Queen's Pawn Chess Emporium. In 1964, she won the U.S. Women's Championship again. However, she was already sick with a liver problem. Sonja Graf passed away in New York City in 1965, a few months after her 56th birthday.

See also

In Spanish: Sonja Graf para niños