Dear International Chess Community,
Warm greetings from Brazil.
I write on behalf of a group of chess advocates who are currently working to recover and honor the memory of Ruth Volkl Cardoso (1926–2000), a pioneering Brazilian chess player and the first Brazilian woman to be awarded the title of Woman International Master (WIM) by FIDE, in 1970.
Ruth Cardoso had strong ties to the international chess scene. Between the 1970s and 1990s, she was an active member of the Manhattan and Marshall Chess Clubs in New York and maintained a close friendship with Pal Benko, with whom she often analyzed games and shared chess ideas. Her contributions, however, remain largely undocumented, especially in Brazil, where there are few surviving records of her life and achievements.
It is known that Ruth and her mother, of German Jewish descent, returned to Europe before the Second World War and were tragically caught in the conflict. They were subjected to forced labor but eventually returned to Brazil, where Ruth built an extraordinary chess career. She won the US, Canadian and Brazilian Women’s Championship multiple times. Unfortunately, she passed away in Salvador, Bahia, in 2000, apparently without any surviving relatives.
We are reaching out to the International chess community to ask if any archives, publications, or personal recollections exist that mention Ruth Cardoso or records of Ruth’s participation in tournaments or events.
Any contribution—no matter how small—would be deeply appreciated as we work to reconstruct and celebrate this important chapter of women’s chess history.
With gratitude and warm regards,
Gina Leite
Ô Rei, Clube de Xadrez
contato@oreiclubedexadrez.com
https://www.instagram.com/oreiclubedexadrez/