Ruth Cardoso

Ruth Volgl Cardoso (February 9 1934 – February 11 2000) was a chess player who was born in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. She held the title of Woman International Master (WIM) from FIDE.

Related Topics:
February 9 - 1934 - February 11 - 2000 - Chess - Salvador - Bahia - Brazil - Woman International Master - FIDE

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She also died in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. The cause of death was heart trouble. Her father was a Brazilian businessman who had come to Germany to study engineering. There, he met and married Ruth's mother. He brought the mother to Brazil and Ruth was born there.

Related Topics:
Salvador - Bahia - Brazil

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Shortly after Ruth was born, the marriage broke up and Ruth and her mother went to Germany. The war broke out and Ruth and her mother spent World War II in Eastern Germany. When the war was over, the Russians moved in and took over East Germany. Ruth would have been trapped there, except that she had dinner with General Dwight D. Eisenhower, who saw to it that Ruth would be allowed to escape to Brazil.

Related Topics:
Germany - World War II - Russians - East Germany - General - Dwight D. Eisenhower - Brazil

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Ruth Cardoso was for many years the strongest woman chess player in South America. She won the South American Woman's Championship every time she played, in 1966, 1969 and 1972. She was eight times in succession Brazilian Woman's Champion. She played four times in the Woman's Interzonal Championship. She played in five World Chess Olympiads, playing first board for the Brazilian team each time. She represenred Brazil in Skopje 1972, Medellín 1974, Buenos Aires 1976, Malta 1980, and Luzern 1982. Her trainer was Grandmaster Pal Benko.

Related Topics:
South America - Interzonal - Chess Olympiads - Brazilian - Skopje - Medellín - Buenos Aires - Malta - Luzern - Grandmaster - Pal Benko

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She played chess in the US for 30 years, mostly in open Swiss tournaments. She was a popular chess personality, who was always able to see the bright side of the worst possible situation.

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Ruth Cardoso was perhaps best known for playing in strong grandmaster tournaments in Spain and Italy in the 1970s. She played tournament games against grandmasters Ljubomir Ljubojevic, Arturo Pomar, Jan Timman and Arthur Bisguier. She occasionally scored against the grandmasters, drawing with Grandmaster Laszlo Barczay in Reggio Emilia 1970 and with Grandmaster Miguel Quinteros in Malaga, Spain in 1971.

Related Topics:
Spain - Italy - Ljubomir Ljubojevic - Arturo Pomar - Jan Timman - Arthur Bisguier - Laszlo Barczay - Reggio Emilia - Grandmaster - Miguel Quinteros - Malaga

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In addition to being a chess player, she was an artist and a woodcutter.

Related Topics:
Artist - Woodcutter

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One confusing point which has often arisen is the similarity between her name and that of International Master Radolfo Tan Cardoso of the Philippines. Radolfo Cardoso became famous for playing a match against Bobby Fischer in 1957 and in the Interzonal in Portoroz in 1958. As a result, when games played by R. Cardoso against grandmasters began being published in the 1970s, everyone assumed that these were games played by Radolfo Cardoso, whereas they were actually played by Ruth Cardoso. She is also sometimes confused with the wife of the President of Brazil, whose name is also Ruth Cardoso.

Related Topics:
International Master - Radolfo Tan Cardoso - Philippines - Bobby Fischer - Interzonal - Portoroz - Radolfo Cardoso - Brazil

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Ruth Cardoso was married and divorced early in life and had no children. There are no survivors, other than her long time companion Pal Benko.

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