Does Brains over brawn Factotum skill apply for grapple and initiative?

Question

Brains over Brawn states

Brains over Brawn (Ex): At 3rd level, you gain your Intelligence bonus as a modifier on Strength checks, Dexterity checks, and checks involving skills based on Strength or Dexterity, such as Hide, Climb, and Jump.

My master states that maybe I'm over-reading, Rolling Grapple isn't a stregth check. So, community, help us out! =)

I'm almost certain that he's right, I think that for making this valid it should say

Brains over Brawn (Ex): At 3rd level, you gain your Intelligence bonus as a modifier on Strength-based checks and Dexterity-based checks

So, reiteration here: Brains over brawn Factotum ability applies for grapple and initiative?

Answer 1

Initiative

d20SRD > Combat > Initiative

At the start of a battle, each combatant makes an initiative check. An initiative check is a Dexterity check. Each character...

An initiative check is a Dexterity check, and therefore benefits from Brains Over Brawn. The factotum adds his Intelligence bonus to initiative checks (in addition to his Dexterity bonus and any other bonus that might apply, e.g. Improved Initiative).

Grappling

d20SRD > Combat > Special Attacks > Grapple

Repeatedly in a grapple, you need to make opposed grapple checks against an opponent. A grapple check is like a melee attack roll. Your attack bonus on a grapple check...

A grapple check is like a melee attack roll, which itself is not any kind of ability check but a different sort of roll entirely, so Brains Over Brawn does not apply. Cunning Insight does apply to attack rolls, but even so, a grapple check is only like a melee attack roll, not actually a melee attack roll, so Cunning Insight does not apply to that either. Factota do not gain any ability that adds Intelligence bonus to grapple checks.