Ramon Rey Ardid

Rey Ardid circa 1984

      Rey Ardid (20 December 1903 – 21 January 1988) was champion of Spain from 1929 to 1943. By profession he was a psychiatrist and a professor at Zaragoza University and ranks with the best of the Spanish players such as Golmayo, Fuentes, Díez del Corral, Sanz, Saborido Toran, Visier and Pomar.
      In 1924, he played for Spain in the first Chess Olympiad held in Paris where he scored +4 -5 =4. In 1928 he won the pre-Olympic tournament in Madrid, but did not participate in the 2nd Olympiad at The Hague. In 1929, he tied for 4-5th in Barcelona and took his first Spanish Champion title.
      In 1929 he won a match for the Spanish title against Manuel Golmayo with 4 wins, one loss and 2 draws. He defended the title, winning matches: against R. Casas (+5 –1 =0) in 1933, Vicente Almirali Castall (+5 –0 =2) in 1935, Juan Fuentes (+5 –1 =1) in 1942, and lost the title to Jose Sanz (+3 –4 =3) in 1943.
   Probably his major international success was finishing 2nd, behind Lilienthal at Sitges 1934 defeating Tartakower and Spielmann in the process. In 1935 he defeated Victor Kahn (+2 -0 =4) in at match held in Zaragoza 1935. Also in 1935 he tied for 1st in Hastings 1935/36 B tournament. He played a match against Alekhine in 1944 and lost by the narrow margin of +0 -1 =3 and the same year soundly defeated Francisco Lupi (+5 –1 =0); both matches were held in Zaragoza. He finished first in a small tournament in Madrid in 1946.

      Dr. Rey Ardid excelled in the field of neuropsychiatry. In 1926 he graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of Zaragoza, and moved to Madrid where he combined the medical profession with chess. In 1943 he abandoned serious chess but continued to participate by giving simultaneous displays, correspondence chess and writing. He published twelve books, most notably Principles of Chess hundred items Opening chess and Spanish. He was a columnist for the Daily Herald Dawn Aragon and Zaragoza, and Barcelona's La Vanguardia. While Professor of Psychiatry an the University of Zaragoza he translated the works of Sigmund Frued and developed the method of spinal pumping for schizophrenia which was utilized in several German and Austrian universities. However, according to an article appearing in The American Journal of Psychiatry in 1956, it was stated that no noticeable therapeutic results were obtained in a series of 50 psychotic patients treated with spinal pumping procedures and the method was not recommended for the treatment of psychiatric disorders.
      Today the Rey Ardid Group consists of various nonprofit mental health organizations catering to children, the elderly and others by providing professional and social services.

Here is a snappy win from the 1930 Spanish Championship against Golmayo.