Clare Benedict (1871–1961) was an American–Swiss chess patron. She was born in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. Her great-grandmother was a sister of James Fenimore Cooper, the well-known American writer and novelist. She was also niece of Constance Fenimore Woolson, an American expatriate Victorian writer. In an effort to create a worthy monument to the memory of her aunt, Mrs. Benedict gave Rollins College a building that she furnished with items from Woolson's estate. Clare Benedict herself was a writer, even if not as gifted as her aunt. In 1945 she moved to Switzerland and founded an annual team tournament commonly recognized as the Clare Benedict Cup.
