Roberto Grau

Roberto Gabriel Grau was an Argentine chess master. He was born and died in Buenos Aires. In the late 1920s he was Argentina's strongest chess-player.

Chess career

Grau played in many Argentine championships. In 1921/22, he tied for 3rd–4th. In 1922, he tied for 2nd–3rd. In 1923/24, he tied for 2nd–4th. In 1924, he took 2nd, behind Richard Réti.
In 1926, he won in Buenos Aires and won a match for the title against Reca. He was also Argentine Champion in 1927 and 1928. He won a match against Isaías Pleci in 1929, lost matches to Pleci in 1930, and Carlos Guimard in 1937. Grau won again Argentine championships in 1934 and a match against Luis Piazzini in 1935, in 1935 and a match against Jacobo Bolbochán in 1936, in 1938 and a match against Guimard in 1939.
In tournaments, he won in 1921/22 at Montevideo. In 1923, he won in Buenos Aires. In 1924, he took 2nd, behind Max Euwe, in Paris. In 1925, he tied for 2nd-3rd with Reca, behind Luis Palau, in Montevideo. In 1928, he won in Mar del [Plata chess tournaments|Mar del Plata]. In 1929, he won in Rosario. In 1930, he tied for 2nd-3rd in Buenos Aires. In 1930, he took 5th in Buenos Aires. In 1930, he took 15th in San Remo.
In 1934, he took 2nd, behind Aaron Schwartzman, in Mar del Plata. In 1934/35, he took 5th in Buenos Aires. In 1938, he tied for 5-6th in Montevideo, an event won by Alekhine. In 1939, he took 4th, behind Fenoglio, Guimard and Julio Bolbochán, in Rio de Janeiro. In 1939, he took 7th in Buenos Aires.
Grau played for Argentina in Chess Olympiads.

In 1924, at first board in 1st unofficial Chess Olympiad in Paris ;
In 1927, at first board in 1st Chess Olympiad in London ;
In 1928, at first reserve board in 2nd Chess Olympiad in The Hague ;
In 1935, at first board in 6th Chess Olympiad in Warsaw ;
In 1937, at third board in 7th Chess Olympiad in Stockholm ;
In 1939, at first board in 8th Chess Olympiad in Buenos Aires.

He was one of the original signatories in the formation of FIDE at Paris 1924.
He also wrote a four volume series on chess titled "Tratado General de Ajedrez", first published in 1940.
The opening line 1. d4 d5 2. c4 Bf5 3. Qb3 e5 is called the Grau gambit.