Ponce Miranda, Neftali

The son of lawyer Belisario Ponce Borja, later (1941) the President of the Supreme Court of Ecuador. He graduated from the in Quito.

In 1930, he became the chess champion of his hometown. In 1934-1936 was the consul of Ecuador in Scotland . He took an active part in the work of the Glasgow Chess Club, was part of the West Scotland chess team, became the only winner in the match of the simultaneous game of Jacques Mises . In 1936, he won one of the sections in the tournament of the Nottingham Chess Congress (the top of which was an outstanding grandmaster in composition) ^[1] .

In 1936-1940 Consul in Washington . As a member of the Ecuador national team, he participated in the 1939 Chess Olympiad . In this competition, he played on the 1st board. He played 16 games, of which 3 he won (against W. Cordoba , E. Espinola and G. Vasso ) and 2 tied (with J. Morrison and F. Pinson ). He also suffered 11 defeats: from J. Enevoldsen , T. van Skheltingi , V.I. Mikenas , B. Möller , J. O'Hanlon , L. Piazzini , E. Royan , A. Ausgeyrsson , J. F. O ' Donovana , E. Rotunno , A. Tsvetkova .

In 1940 he returned to Ecuador, worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in 1941 received a doctorate in law from the Central University of Ecuador . Then an adviser to the embassies in Venezuela and Colombia. In 1944-1947 Counselor-Ambassador of the Embassy of Ecuador in the United States, in 1945 was a member of the Ecuadorian delegation at the San Francisco Conference and at the UN General Assembly in 1946 and 1947. In May-September 1947 and then again in 1962-1963. Ambassador of Ecuador to the USA.

In 1948-1952 and 1963-1964. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ecuador.

• Chess Scotland (Neopr.) . www.chessscotland.com. Date of treatment June 11, 2019.
• N. Ponce's games in the Chessgames database
• N. Ponce's personal card on 365Chess website (games are mistakenly attributed to the little-known Spanish chess player H. Ponce Navalon)