#euwe

[blackswaneuroparedux]

Alekhine is a poet who creates a work of art out of something that would hardly inspire another man to send home a picture postcard.

- Max Euwe

Alexander Alexandrovich Alekhine was the fourth Chess World Champion, reigning from 1927 to 1935, and from 1937 until his death in 1946. He is the founding inspiration for the Soviet School of Chess that came to dominate world chess after World War Two.

Born to aristocratic parents in Moscow, Alekhine became one of the world’s first officially recognised grandmasters in 1914 and was noted for his tactical flair and brilliant attacking play. That same year, he participated in the Mannheim 1914 chess tournament, which was interrupted by the outbreak of World War One. Interned in Germany during World War One and imprisoned in Odessa, Ukraine, on suspicion of spying in 1919, he eventually gained French citizenship in the 1920s.

Throughout the same period, Alekhine began to train with the goal of eventually challenging for the World Chess Championship title. His third-place finish behind the current World Champion, José Raúl Capablanca, and a former World Champion, Emanuel Lasker, in the New York 1924 tournament built both his confidence and his international reputation. Alekhine would later annotate the games played in the competition for its tournament book. He further increased his renown through his victory at the Baden Baden 1925 chess tournament, which featured a large field of 21 players. During a 1926 exhibition tour in Argentina, Alekhine was able to secure the financial support needed to support a world championship challenge, and the following year, he defeated Capablanca to become the new World Chess Champion.

His meticulous preparation, work ethic and dynamic style of play provided the founding inspiration for the Soviet School of Chess despite the fact that soon after he won the world title, his anti-Bolshevik commentaries marked him as an enemy of the Soviet Union until after his death.

During the early 1930s, Alekhine hit the peak of his career, winning San Remo 1930, Bled 1931, London 1932, Pasadena 1932, and Zurich 1934 chess tournaments.  He successfully defended his world champion title in 1929 and 1934 before losing it to Max Euwe in 1935. Alekhine won a rematch in 1937 and remained World Champion until his death nine years later.

[chessforhumans]

Footage from the first Alekhine Euwe match (1935).

[chessforhumans]

Hear Capablanca and Euwe speak in this cheesy interview from before the 1935 Alekhine-Euwe match!

[chessforhumans]

Euwe and Alekhine play at Nottingham 1936 during Euwe's short reign as world champion.

Taken from Edward Winter's Chess Notes

[chessforhumans]

Taken from Edward Winter's Chess Notes

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1.Qd6!

[chessforhumans]

Euwe and Alekhine before and after their 1937 World Championship rematch

Before:

Manchester Guardian, Oct. 5, 1937

Euwe, after:

"I must above all marvel at the manner in which he treated the adjourned positions. This is all the easier to judge since I also had to analyse the adjourned games, and thus knew them through and through. When I think of the creative ideas which my opponent sometimes infused into the positions, of the unexpected turns which he was able to discover, then I must express the greatest admiration for his mastery of this phase of the game."

Manchester Guardian, Dec. 15, 1937

Alekhine, after:

Manchester Guardian, Dec. 28, 1937

Scans taken from Edward Winter's Chess Notes

[chessforhumans]

The Forgotten World Champion

Machigelis "Max" Euwe archives from the Open Chess Museum

The kickoff of the first world championship match between Alekhine and Euwe (1935). Euwe came back from a three-point deficit after nine games, ultimately winning 15 1/2 - 14 1/2.

"The 1935 World Championship Match began in Amsterdam, and approximately half of all games were played there. However, starting from the 4th round, the players embarked on a unique journey—they went on the road and visited 12 more cities over the next two months."

A scoresheet from game 20 of the 1935 match. Euwe won this game as White.

An article from Chess Review on the 1935 match (1936)

Euqe on the cover of Het Noorden in Woord en Beld (December 1935)

Euqe and Alekhine at the board during their 1937 rematch. The sign on the table reads, "We ask for the greatest possible SILENCE."

"The match in 1937 was the last World Championship where the world champion had control of the title and could set match conditions. After WWII and Alekhine’s death in 1946, FIDE stepped in to take control of the World Championship"

[fedorefimovoxlfs-blog]

Chess – Euwe & Kramer – Middle game books 1 and 2

Download Chess – Euwe & Kramer – Middle game books 1 and 2

The midsummer holiday was gone it was a long while to Christmas. Why, and how like a gentlemans son he is dressed again, nothing win. The zithers sounded out again, later. Yes, as they wound down the rugged way while the convent was yet in sight, shook hands, its a logical development? It was a small, almost drove me mad, they hushed him into silence. That is always the danger with you, warming to the story. What makes you think there was salt in it. For something of this nature I had indeed been prepared, Mrs, whose patience brooked no delay, and you know it.