Clarice Benini

{{Short description|Italian chess player (1905–1976)}} [[File:Benini.jpg|thumb|Corry Vreeken vs. Benini (Amsterdam, 1962)]] '''Clarice Benini''' (8 January 1905 – 6 September 1976) was an Italian chess player. She was awarded the title International Woman Master by FIDE in 1950.<ref>[http://xoomer.virgilio.it/cserica/scacchi/storiascacchi/index.htm La grande storia degli scacchi]</ref>

Benini was born in Florence. In 1936, she finished second, behind Sonja Graf, in Semmering, Austria.<ref name=CR>{{cite magazine |last=Weart|first=Edith L.|date=October 1937|title=Women in Chess|url=https://www.chess.com/blog/batgirl/women-in-chess---1937|magazine=The Chess Review|page=230|access-date=2020-10-02|via="Le blog de la Batgirl" at ''Chess.com''}}</ref> The next year, Benini also came second in the Women's World Championship at Stockholm, behind Vera Menchik and ahead of Sonja Graf, Milda Lauberte, Mary Bain, Mona May Karff, and others.<ref name=CR/> She was the twice Italian women's champion, winning at Milan 1938 and Rome 1939.<ref name=chicco-rosino>{{cite book |last1= Chicco|first1=Adriano |last2=Rosino|first2=Antonio |date=1990|title=Storia degli scacchi in Italia|language=it|location= Venice|publisher=Marsilio|isbn= 88-317-5383-5}}</ref>

Benini took ninth place in the 1949/50 Women's World Championship in Moscow, which was won by Ludmila Rudenko.<ref>{{cite magazine|date=February 1950|title=Amazons Have It Out|magazine=Chess Review|pages=36–37}}</ref><ref>[http://www.mark-weeks.com/chess/49wo$wix.htm World Chess Championship (women) : 1949-50 Title Tournament], ''mark-weeks.com''</ref> She tied for 3rd-4th at Venice 1951 (Women's World Championship zonal), won at Gardone 1956, took 6th at Venice 1957 (zonal), won at Amsterdam 1957, and took 2nd at Beverwijk 1958.<ref>Litmanowicz, Władysław; Giżycki, Jerzy (1986, 1987). ''Szachy od A do Z'' (in Polish). Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Sport i Turystyka. {{ISBN|83-217-2481-7}} (1. A-M), {{ISBN|83-217-2745-X}} (2. N-Z)</ref> On 6 September 1976, Benini was murdered by her neighbour, an insane farmer, in Poggio a Vico, Rufina, Florence.<ref name=chicco-rosino/>

==References== <references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Benini, Clarice}} Category:1905 births Category:1976 deaths Category:Chess Woman International Masters Category:Italian female chess players Category:Sportspeople from Florence Category:20th-century Italian chess players Category:20th-century Italian sportsmen Category:Italian murder victims Category:Female murder victims Category:20th-century Italian sportswomen Category:People murdered in Tuscany