María Teresa Mora Iturralde (15 October 1902 – 3 October 1980) was a

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...

master. Born in

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.José Raúl Capablanca José Raúl Capablanca y Graupera (19 November 1888 – 8 March 1942) was a Cuban chess player who was the third World Chess Championship, world chess champion from 1921 to 1927. A chess prodigy, he was widely renowned for his exceptional Chess ...

. Mora was the first woman to win the Cuban Chess Championship (in 1922). She was twice a challenger for the Women's World Champion. She tied for seventh/eighth place at Buenos Aires 1939 (

Vera Menchik Vera Francevna Mencikova (, ''Vera Frantsevna Menchik''; ; 16 February 1906 – 26 June 1944), was a Russian-born Czechoslovak chess player who primarily resided in England. She was the first and longest-reigning Women's World Chess Champ ...

won), and 10-11th at Moscow 1949/50 (

Lyudmila Rudenko Lyudmila Vladimirovna Rudenko (, ; 27 July 1904 – 4 March 1986) was a Soviet chess player and the second women's world chess champion, from 1950 until 1953. Rudenko was awarded the FIDE titles of International Master (IM) and Woman Interna ...

won). Mora was awarded the

Woman International Master FIDE titles are awarded by the international chess governing body FIDE (''Fédération Internationale des Échecs'') for outstanding performance. The highest such title is Grandmaster (GM). Titles generally require a combination of Elo rating and ...

(WIM) title in 1950. She was born and died in Havana.

History

María Teresa Mora Iturralde was born in Havana on October 15, 1902. She died on October 3, 1980, in Havana. María Teresa was considered a child prodigy in various fields. Chess was one of them. From a very young age, she played chess against her father, whom it was normal for her to win. Which led her to be a student of Rafael de Pazos, who remained president of the Havana Chess Club for several years, and later

José Raúl Capablanca José Raúl Capablanca y Graupera (19 November 1888 – 8 March 1942) was a Cuban chess player who was the third World Chess Championship, world chess champion from 1921 to 1927. A chess prodigy, he was widely renowned for his exceptional Chess ...

, admired for her way of playing, decided to accept her as a disciple, being the only person he bestowed upon him such a high honor. At the age of 11, she participated and won in her first tournament, at the Havana Chess Club, being his first feat in the sport. In 1922 she conquered the Cuban national title by winning the Copa Dewars tournament, an event that was considered the national championship and with her being the only woman in the tournament. In 1938 she obtained the women's national title, which she held for 22 years, until 1960, retiring undefeated. She participated representing Cuba in two world women's chess championships, in 1939 in Buenos Aires, with Vera Menchik as the winner, and in 1949/50 in Moscow, with Lyudmila Rudenko as the winner. In 1950 she received the title of International Master from the hands of Folke Rogard, president of the International Chess Federation, and became the first Latin American woman to achieve it.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mora, Maria Teresa 1902 births 1980 deaths Cuban female chess players Chess Woman International Masters Chess players from Havana 20th-century Cuban chess players 20th-century Cuban sportswomen