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Roberto Grau
R Grau 
Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.  

Number of games in database: 275
Years covered: 1921 to 1940
Overall record: +123 -72 =79 (59.3%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games in the database. 1 exhibition game, blitz/rapid, odds game, etc. is excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS
With the White pieces:
 Orthodox Defense (14) 
    D63 D55 D65 D67 D51
 Slav (13) 
    D19 D11 D13 D12 D10
 Queen's Pawn Game (11) 
    A45 D02 D00 D05 A46
 Semi-Slav (10) 
    D46 D48 D43 D45
 French Defense (10) 
    C14 C00 C13 C01 C15
 Queen's Gambit Declined (9) 
    D37 D30 D31 D39
With the Black pieces:
 Queen's Pawn Game (28) 
    D02 D04 A45 D05 D00
 Orthodox Defense (19) 
    D51 D63 D50 D55 D52
 Queen's Gambit Declined (19) 
    D37 D30 D06 D38 D31
 French Defense (8) 
    C13 C10 C14 C00 C01
 Slav (6) 
    D11 D12 D19 D17 D13
 Sicilian (6) 
    B43 B41 B84 B40 B58
Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   R Grau vs Fine, 1935 1-0
   R Grau vs Euwe, 1924 1-0
   A Nogues Acuna vs R Grau, 1926 0-1
   C Poulsen vs R Grau, 1937 0-1
   O Garcia Vera vs R Grau, 1929 0-1
   R Grau vs I Pleci, 1930 1-0
   R Grau vs Pilnik, 1938 1-0
   J B Hernandez vs R Grau, 1928 0-1
   Keres vs R Grau, 1939 1/2-1/2
   R Grau vs A Guerra Boneo, 1921 1-0

NOTABLE TOURNAMENTS: [what is this?]
   1st South American Championship 1921/22 (1921)
   3rd South American Championship (1928)
   3rd Argentine National Tournament (1924)
   Argentine Championship Match (1930)
   South American Championship 1934/35 (1934)
   Montevideo (1938)
   Buenos Aires (1939)
   Paris Unofficial Olympiad (1924)
   The Hague Olympiad (1928)
   Stockholm Olympiad (1937)
   Warsaw Olympiad (1935)

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   Buenos Aires 1939 by Tabanus

GAMES ANNOTATED BY GRAU: [what is this?]
   J Caldas Vianna vs A S Paes de Barros, 1900


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ROBERTO GRAU
(born Mar-18-1900, died Apr-12-1944, 44 years old) Argentina

[what is this?]
Roberto Gabriel Grau was born in Buenos Aires. He was Argentine champion in 1926, 1927, 1928, 1935, 1936 and 1939. He played for Argentina in five Olympiads (1927, 1928, 1935, 1937, 1939), mainly on first board.

In match play he defeated Luis Roberto Piazzini (+4, =2, -2) in 1935 and Jacobo Bolbochan (+4, =2, -2) in 1936, and lost to Carlos Enrique Guimard (+0, =4, -4) in 1937.

His best tournament results were South American champion Montevideo 1921 [brasilbase-1] and Mar del Plata 1928 [brasilbase-2]. South American Sub-champion Montevideo 1925 [brasilbase-3] Mar del Plata 1934 [brasilbase-4]. Author of Tratado General de Ajedrez, 4 vols., the bible of South American chessplayers. He passed away in Buenos Aires in 1944.

Wikipedia article: Roberto Grau


Try our new games table.

 page 1 of 12; games 1-25 of 286  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. R Grau vs J Lynch  1-0201921ARG-ch1D37 Queen's Gambit Declined
2. R Illa vs R Grau  ½-½321921ARG-ch1C66 Ruy Lopez
3. R Grau vs A Guerra Boneo 1-0301921Argentine National TournamentC26 Vienna
4. J de Freitas vs R Grau  0-14119211st South American Championship 1921/22C01 French, Exchange
5. R Grau vs J Loedel 1-02519211st South American Championship 1921/22D40 Queen's Gambit Declined, Semi-Tarrasch
6. R Werneck de Castro vs R Grau  0-13919211st South American Championship 1921/22E16 Queen's Indian
7. R Grau vs R Illa  ½-½1719211st South American Championship 1921/22D12 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav
8. J Berasain vs R Grau  ½-½4019221st South American Championship 1921/22C13 French
9. S Rivas Costa vs R Grau  0-14719221st South American Championship 1921/22E12 Queen's Indian
10. R Grau vs J Lynch  ½-½2519221st South American Championship 1921/22C14 French, Classical
11. B H Villegas vs R Grau  1-03619221st South American Championship 1921/22D63 Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defense
12. R Grau vs A Ellerman  1-02019221st South American Championship 1921/22D12 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav
13. D Reca vs R Grau 0-11719221st South American Championship 1921/22C30 King's Gambit Declined
14. R Grau vs J de Souza Mendes  1-04719221st South American Championship 1921/22D63 Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defense
15. H A Carlos vs R Grau  0-13319221st South American Championship 1921/22C13 French
16. R Grau vs H Anaya Oger  1-04719221st South American Championship 1921/22C50 Giuoco Piano
17. J Montalban vs R Grau  0-13919221st South American Championship 1921/22D60 Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defense
18. R Grau vs A A Barbosa de Oliveira  1-01819221st South American Championship 1921/22D32 Queen's Gambit Declined, Tarrasch
19. R Grau vs L Palau  1-04119221st South American Championship 1921/22C49 Four Knights
20. R Grau vs D Reca  ½-½271923ARG-ch3 Mayor Buenos AiresD63 Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defense
21. L Palau vs R Grau  ½-½221923ARG-ch3 Mayor Buenos AiresD63 Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defense
22. D Reca vs R Grau  ½-½361923ARG-ch3 Mayor Buenos AiresC66 Ruy Lopez
23. R Grau vs L Palau  1-0451923ARG-ch3 Mayor Buenos AiresC00 French Defense
24. L Palau vs R Grau  1-0311923ARG-ch3 Mayor Buenos AiresD51 Queen's Gambit Declined
25. R Grau vs B H Villegas  1-02919243rd Argentine National TournamentD13 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, Exchange Variation
 page 1 of 12; games 1-25 of 286  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Grau wins | Grau loses  

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 1 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jun-01-03  Ribeiro: This master wrote a very important book in several volumes, entitled "Tratado General de Ajedrez" (something like General Treatise on Chess).
Dec-05-04  kostich in time: Despite his unimpressive score in this database. Grau ruled Argentinian chess in the twenties and thirties, ahead of strong players like Guimard and Pleci. He played very well at the Stockholm Olympiad in 1937
Jan-01-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  Benzol: Roberto Gabriel Grau
Born 18th March 1900 in Buenos Aires
Died 12th April 1944 also in Buenos Aires
He was Argentine champion in 1926, 1935, 1936 and 1939.
Jul-11-05  Lubosch: I need to Have more notice on Grau and Araiza (players of San remo 1930 )on the life of this players. sorry for very bad englisch. Thank you
Feb-08-06  benderules: He also was instrumental to organize the match Capa-Alek in Buenos Aires
Mar-18-06  BIDMONFA: Roberto Grau

GRAU, Roberto G.
http://www.bidmonfa.com/grau_robert...
_

Jan-22-07  wolfking: Capablanca and Grau were great friends. In a friendly game between them, Capablanca blunders!! Grau, instead of immediatly winning, insists Capa on taking back his move. After this, the game leads to a really favorable ending to Capa, but he agrees draw returning the favor ^^.
Jun-15-07  Karpova: <‘Conditions in South America’s chess world are extraordinary. Grau has achieved a position of extraordinary power and influence and is virtually dictator of Argentine chess; it is authentically stated that his chess organizing activities have netted him at least £5,000 in two years. Yet tournament after tournament goes through in the most haphazard and unsatisfactory fashion.’> (CHESS, October 1941)

http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/...

Jun-15-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  chancho: The guy died at the age of 44 years of age. Too bad his four volume set: Tratado General De Ajedrez is only in spanish.
Dec-14-07  Karpova: Picture of him giving a simul:
http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/...
Feb-19-08  mito1985: I have his four volume set, it is a very impressive book that help me a lot to improve my chess skills. Of course im argentinian and very proud of this chess legend in our country
Feb-19-08  paladin at large: Capablanca had a high opinion of Grau's ability. Grau is one of those strong masters from the early part of the 20th century whose skill is not yet adequately reflected in the games in the database. Hopefully, more of his games will be uploaded.
Mar-10-08  Augalv: The Tratado General de Ajedrez or 'Treatise on General Chess' by Roberto Grau are problably the best books(it's a four-book volume) on chess ever written in Argentina. It's what I recommend using to anyone who wants to begin studying chess. It may need some updating though.
Mar-18-08  WickedPawn: Grau's 'Tratado General de Ajedrez' was given to me as a gift when I was a kid. This magnificent four volume set is one of the reasons why I became so interested in chess.
Mar-18-08  brankat: It is a pity that, apparently, the Treatise has not been translated to English.
Mar-18-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  WannaBe: Such young age to pass away, and leave us with half-empty glass...

I wish to see more of Roberto's game in the database, such that, his record is not so bad.

Mar-18-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  chessgames.com: <I wish to see more of Roberto's game in the database, such that, his record is not so bad.> Your wish is our command.
Mar-18-08  pawnofdoom: Wasn't there some "Grau Variation" of the Queen's Pawn Opening? It was either <1. d4 d5 2. c4 ♗f5> or <1. d4 d5 2. ♗f4> or maybe neither
Mar-18-08  Knight to f6: <pawnofdoom: Wasn't there some "Grau Variation" of the Queen's Pawn Opening?> There certainly is, I believe it was 2. Bf4.

So these years would make Grau the #1 player in Argentina before Najdorf. Wonder if they ever played each other, Najdorf was stranded in Argentina in 1939 with the Polish Olympiad team when WW2 began.

Mar-18-08  Knight to f6: Grau vs Najdorf--the one and only game:

R Grau vs Najdorf, 1939

Mar-18-08  Komapsimnita: <Karpova> posted a picture on the 14th of December. You should check it out, I'm 100% sure that whoever took the photo must have shouted CHEESE!
Sep-29-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  GrahamClayton: <Pawnofdoom>The Grau Variation is 1. d4 d5 2. c4 ♗f5.

According to Hooper and Whyld, 1. d4 d5 2.♗f4 is the Mason Variation of the Queen's Pawn Opening.

Source: David Hooper and Kenneth Whyld "Oxford Companion to Chess", OUP, 1992

May-01-09  Augalv: http://www.ajedrezargentina.org/bio...
Oct-18-11  vonKrolock: <Mar del Plata 1928> The so called 'Third South-American Tournament', with players from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay. 1st Grau 13,5, 2nd Luis Argentino Palau (ARG) 12,5. 3-rd João de Souza Mendes (BRA) 11,5 etc - Complete with crosstable and games in the Brasilbase site http://www.brasilbase.pro.br/sa1928...

<<!?>: "The game Vianna - Hernandez was played with the black King in 'd8' and the black Queen in 'e8' " > (It seems that they were trying some Chess-Variant back then...)

Mar-18-12  brankat: Senor Grau certainly did a lot for the advancement of Chess in Argentina, and South America in general.
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