Chantal Chaudé de Silans
Encyclopedia
Chantal Chaudé de Silans (9 March 1919, Versailles
- 5 September 2001, Grasse
) was a French chess
player and a pioneer of women's chess.
She learned how to play the game when she was nine along with her brother the Baron de Silans, who later became a strong amateur. In 1932, at age thirteen, she entered her first women's French Chess Championship
. In 1936, she won the championship at age seventeen.
In 1939, she married Bernard Chaudé and followed him to Morocco due to World War II. They returned to France in 1942 and soon entered French Resistance
nets.
In 1949-50, she represented France at the Moscow
tournament, which had to decide who would succeed Vera Menchik
as the woman World Champion. Chantal Chaudé de Silans was leading the field for a good part of the tournament but tired at the end, ending up being tied for fifth place out of sixteen players. Despite having to take care of four children, she participated again to the Women's World Championships
in 1952 and 1955 (Moscow), and again in 1961 (at Vrnjacka Banja
), ending up respectively tied for eighth place, tied for 10th and in 12th place. She was part of the national French team at the 9th Chess Olympiad
held in Dubrovnik
in 1950, becoming the first woman ever to participate in this competition. She was also the first woman to ever take part to the French Chess Championship (men's section), finishing seventh in 1947. Her shared third place in 1951 is still to this day the best result by a woman at the French Championship.
In 1970, shortly after the demise of Jeanne Le Bey-Taillis, she became the President of the Paris
Caïssa chess club
. She voluntarily managed it for more than thirty years; meanwhile, the club produced several young talents who would later become strong grandmasters, such as Olivier Renet, Eloi Relange, Manuel Apicella, Igor Nataf and Joël Lautier
.
She was awarded by FIDE the title of Woman International Master, at the creation of the title in 1950 and later the (honorary) title of Woman Grandmaster.
in Zurich 1951.
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Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
- 5 September 2001, Grasse
Grasse
-See also:*Route Napoléon*Ancient Diocese of Grasse*Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department-External links:*...
) was a French chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
player and a pioneer of women's chess.
She learned how to play the game when she was nine along with her brother the Baron de Silans, who later became a strong amateur. In 1932, at age thirteen, she entered her first women's French Chess Championship
French Chess Championship
The French Chess Championship is the annual, national chess tournament of France. It was officially first played in 1923after the formation of the Fédération Française des Echecs in 1921. The first unofficial national tournament was played in 1880, in the Café de la Régence, where further edition...
. In 1936, she won the championship at age seventeen.
In 1939, she married Bernard Chaudé and followed him to Morocco due to World War II. They returned to France in 1942 and soon entered French Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
nets.
In 1949-50, she represented France at the Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
tournament, which had to decide who would succeed Vera Menchik
Vera Menchik
Vera Menchik was a British-Czech chess player who gained renown as the world's first women's chess champion. She also competed in chess tournaments with some of the world's leading male chess masters, defeating many of them, including future World Champion Max Euwe.The daughter of a Czech father...
as the woman World Champion. Chantal Chaudé de Silans was leading the field for a good part of the tournament but tired at the end, ending up being tied for fifth place out of sixteen players. Despite having to take care of four children, she participated again to the Women's World Championships
Women's World Chess Championship
The Women's World Chess Championship is played to determine the women's world champion in chess. Like the World Chess Championship, it is administered by FIDE....
in 1952 and 1955 (Moscow), and again in 1961 (at Vrnjacka Banja
Vrnjacka Banja
Vrnjačka Banja is a town, municipality, and a resort, mineral spa located in Raška District of Serbia. It contains the world's only hot spring with a temperature measuring exactly that of the human body ....
), ending up respectively tied for eighth place, tied for 10th and in 12th place. She was part of the national French team at the 9th Chess Olympiad
9th Chess Olympiad
The 9th Chess Olympiad, organized by the FIDE and comprising an open and women's tournament, as well as several events designed to promote the game of chess, took place between August 20 and September 11, 1950, in Dubrovnik, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia .The final results were as follows:-Final :The...
held in Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...
in 1950, becoming the first woman ever to participate in this competition. She was also the first woman to ever take part to the French Chess Championship (men's section), finishing seventh in 1947. Her shared third place in 1951 is still to this day the best result by a woman at the French Championship.
In 1970, shortly after the demise of Jeanne Le Bey-Taillis, she became the President of the Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
Caïssa chess club
Chess club
A chess club is a club formed for the purpose of playing the board game of chess. Chess clubs provide for both informal games and timed games, often as part of an internal competition or in a league.-Organisation:...
. She voluntarily managed it for more than thirty years; meanwhile, the club produced several young talents who would later become strong grandmasters, such as Olivier Renet, Eloi Relange, Manuel Apicella, Igor Nataf and Joël Lautier
Joel Lautier
Joël Lautier is a French chess grandmaster and FIDE Senior Trainer .Born in Canada, of French father and Japanese mother, Lautier is one of the strongest grandmasters from France. He won the 1988 World Junior Chess Championship on tiebreak at Adelaide, and the French Chess Championships in 2004...
.
She was awarded by FIDE the title of Woman International Master, at the creation of the title in 1950 and later the (honorary) title of Woman Grandmaster.
Illustrative game
The following game is quite typical of her attacking style and was played during the match she drew against Henri GrobHenri Grob
Henri Grob was a Swiss chess master.Grob represented Switzerland in Chess Olympiads.* In 1927, at fourth board in 1st Chess Olympiad in London ;...
in Zurich 1951.
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1480829