Aristide Gromer

Aristide Gromer (Dunkirk, 11 April 1908[1][2] – ?) was a French chess master.

Gromer was thrice French Champion (1933, 1937, and 1938).[3]

He tied for 5-6th at Paris 1923 (Victor Kahn won), took 3rd at Biarritz 1926 (André Chéron and Frederic Lazard won), took 2nd, behind Chéron, at Saint-Cloude 1929, shared 2nd with Savielly Tartakower, behind Eugene Znosko-Borovsky, at Paris 1930, took 2nd, behind Aimé Gibaud, at Rouen 1930,[4] took 9th at Paris 1933 (Alexander Alekhine won), took 6th at Sitges 1934 (Andor Lilienthal won), took 2nd, behind Baldur Hoenlinger, at Paris (L'Echiquier) 1938.[5] As a Champion of France, he won a match against Champion of Belgium, Alberic O'Kelly de Galway, (2.5 : 1.5) in December 1938.[6]

Gromer played for France in Chess Olympiads:

• In 1930, at third board in 3rd Chess Olympiad in Hamburg (+4 –6 =1);
• In 1931, at second board in 4th Chess Olympiad in Prague (+3 –9 =4);
• In 1939, at second board in 8th Chess Olympiad in Buenos Aires (+6 –4 =7).[7]

In September 1939, when World War II broke out, Gromer, along with many other participants of the 8th Chess Olympiad (Najdorf, Stahlberg, et al.) decided to stay permanently in Argentina.[8] He won at Buenos Aires (Bodas de Plata) 1940, followed by Franciszek Sulik, Carlos Guimard, etc.[9] He took 7th at Aguas de Sao Pedro/São Paulo 1941 (Erich Eliskases and Guimard won).[10] In May 1942[11] Gromer returned to France. He took part in the French Championship 1947, where he shared second place with Amédée Gibaud and Nicolas Rossolimo.[12] He died in Paris, at a psychiatric institution, though the date is not known.[13]