Sonja Graf
Sonja ( really Susanna ) Graf ( born December 16, 1908 in Munich, † March 6, 1965 in New York, NY) was one of the best chess players in the world. She played several times at the World Cup.
Youth
Graf played initially successful with in Munich with team championships of Lords. Later, she traveled through Europe, to play chess and internationally.
Fighting for the world championship
In 1934, she challenged the reigning world champion Vera Menchik. In Amsterdam they lost this battle, in which it did not go to the World Cup, with one win and three defeats.
In 1937, she lost a world title fight on the Semmering ( Austria ) against Menchik significantly ( 2, -9, = 5).
The 7th Women's World Championship was held in Stockholm to a variant of the Swiss system. Here Graf finished among the 29 participants in third place behind Vera Menchik and the Italian Clarice Benini.
Another start to the World Cup they undertook in the World Chess Championship for women in 1939. However, in Buenos Aires, she had Vera Menchik to defer them again, it was only enough to place 2, and thus for the World Championship.
More competitions
Other achievements include first place in Vienna in 1932 and 1936 on the Semmering, the 4-0 victory in 1939 in Amsterdam against Fenny Heemskerk and two match victories against the Dutch Catharina Roodzant in Rotterdam, namely 3,5:0,5 1937 and 1939 3-1. However, they had to admit defeat in 1934 in Hamburg Paul Heuäcker with 0:6.
Your highest historical Elo rating was 2431st This they reached in August 1946.
Emigration
1939 not returned Count because of the early war back to Germany. She remained in Buenos Aires in 1947 and married the sailor Vernon Stevenson. With him she moved to the United States. They had a son, Alexander ( * 1951).
In 1950, she was among the first 17 players who received the title of International Women's Champion (WIM).
In the U.S., she was still active under the name Graf- Stevenson and won in 1957 in Los Angeles and New York in 1964, the U.S. Championship of the ladies.