ChessWorld: Max Euwe

World chess champion 1935-1937

Born 5.5.1901 Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Died 26.11.1981 Amsterdam, The Netherlands

In 1935 Alexander Alekhine selected him as his opponent for the World title. Euwe won the match (+9 =13 -8) to become the 5th World Champion. In 1937 he lost the rematch (+4 =11 -10). After the Second World War he had his best tournament result, second at Groningen in 1946.

After the death of Alexander Alekhine in 1946, the World Chess Federation, FIDE, assembled in 1947 and the delegates decided the Euwe should become world champion pending the next championship match. The Soviet delegates, arriving late the next day, had the decision annulled, and the title should be vacant until a match or tournament was played to decide a new world chess champion. The world championship match-tournament held at The Hague and Moscow in 1948 was won by Mikhail Botvinnik, who became the 6th world champion. Max Euwe took last place among Botvinnik, Smyslov, Keres, Reshevsky, and himself. He scored only 1 win, 6 draws, and 13 losses in this event.

In March, 1957 Max Euwe played Bobby Fischer in two unofficial games in New York. Euwe one one game and drew the second game.

Max Euwe was elected president of FIDE in 1970 and held the post for 8 years. He traveled to over 100 countries at his own expense during that time promoting chess. Over 30 new member countries joined FIDE due to his efforts.

Max Euwe died in Amsterdam on November 26, 1981. Max Euwe won 14, drew 30, and lost 31 world championship games. His historical ELO rating has been calculated to be 2660. He played about 600 tournament games in his career, scoring 57 percent.

He was also a prolific author and many of his works are still in print.

Games
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[White "Savielly Tartakower"]
[Black "Max Euwe"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Bb6 5. d4 Qe7 6. O-O d6
7. h3 Nf6 8. Re1 O-O 9. Na3 Nd8 10. Bf1 Ne8 11. Nc4 f6 12. a4
c6 13. Nxb6 axb6 14. Qb3+ Ne6 15. Qxb6 g5 16. Bc4 h6 17. h4
Kh7 18. hxg5 hxg5 19. dxe5 dxe5 20. Be3 Rh8 21. g3 Kg6 22. Kg2

22..Nf4+!
23. gxf4 Bh3+ 24. Kg3 exf4+ 25. Bxf4 Qd7! 26. Nh2 gxf4+
27. Kxf4 Rh4+ 28. Ke3 Bg2! 29. Nf3

29...Rxe4+!!
30. Kxe4 Nd6+
31. Kd3Qf5+ 32. Kd4 Qf4+ 33. Kd3 Qxc4+ 34. Kc2 Bxf3 35. b3 Be4+
36. Kb2 Qd3 37. Rg1+ Kf7 38. Rac1 Qd2+ 39. Ka3

39....Nc4+!!
40. bxc4 Rxa4+!!
41. Kxa4 Qa2+
42. Kb4 Qb2+

0-1

[White "Max Euwe"]
[Black "Alexander Alekhine"]

1. d4 e6 2. c4 f5 3. g3 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 Be7 5. Bg2 Nf6 6. Nc3 O-O
7. Nf3 Ne4 8. O-O b6 9. Qc2 Bb7 10. Ne5 Nxc3 11. Bxc3 Bxg2
12. Kxg2 Qc8 13. d5 d6 14. Nd3 e5 15. Kh1 c6 16. Qb3 Kh8
17. f4 e4 18. Nb4 c5 19. Nc2 Nd7 20. Ne3 Bf6 21. Nxf5 Bxc3
22. Nxd6 Qb8 23. Nxe4 Bf6 24. Nd2 g5 25. e4 gxf4 26. gxf4 Bd4
27. e5 Qe8 28. e6 Rg8 29. Nf3 Qg6 30. Rg1 Bxg1 31. Rxg1 Qf6
32. Ng5 Rg7 33. exd7 Rxd7 34. Qe3 Re7 35. Ne6 Rf8 36. Qe5 Qxe5
37. fxe5 Rf5 38. Re1 h6 39. Nd8 Rf2 40. e6 Rd2 41. Nc6 Re8
42. e7 b5 43. Nd8 Kg7 44. Nb7 Kf6 45. Re6+ Kg5 46. Nd6 Rxe7
47. Ne4+ 1-0

[White "Efim Geller"]
[Black "Max Euwe"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 b6
7. Bd3 Bb7 8. f3 Nc6 9. Ne2 O-O 10. O-O Na5 11. e4 Ne8 12. Ng3
cxd4 13. cxd4 Rc8 14. f4 Nxc4 15. f5 f6 16. Rf4 b5 17. Rh4 Qb6
18. e5 Nxe5 19. fxe6 Nxd3 20. Qxd3 Qxe6 21. Qxh7+ Kf7 22. Bh6

22.....Rh8!! [Just for deviation!!!]
23. Qxh8 Rc2! 24. Rc1 Rxg2+ 25. Kf1 Qb3! 26. Ke1 Qf3! 0-1

[White "Max Euwe"]
[Black "Miguel Najdorf"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. Nc3 c5 6. d5 e5
7. Bg5 h6 8. Bxf6 Qxf6 9. d6 Nc6 10. e3 b6 11. Bd5 Kh8 12. Ne4
Qd8 13. h4 f5

14. Ng5! Bb7 15. g4 e4 16. Ne2 Bxb2 17. Nf4 Qf6

18. gxf5! Bxa1 19. Nxg6+ Kg7 20. Nxe4 Bc3+ 21. Kf1 Qxf5 22. Nf4! Kh8
23. Nxc3 Rae8 24. Nce2 Rg8 25. h5! Rg5 26. Ng3 Rxg3
27. fxg3 Rxe3 28. Kf2 Re8 29. Re1 Rxe1 30. Qxe1 Kg7 31. Qe8!