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- “During a Chess competition a Chess master should be a combination of a beast of prey and
a monk“
- (Alexander Alekhine)
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- Alexander Alexanderovich Alekhine was born in
- 1892 in Moscow. He was a product of the prestigious Russian school
of chess, which supported talented chess players….not that he needed
it….Alekhine came from a wealthy background, his mother was an heiress
of an industrial fortune and his father was a Monopoly styled landowner.
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- Alexander was first taught chess by his mother in 1903 at the
- age of 11. Do you think
- his mom taught him what he needed to get good? Nope…that was the
Russian School of Chess’s job. In his controversial career, Alekhine
would be trained by the Soviets, dropped like a hot potato, and
then re-embraced in the 1950’s.
By the time of his funeral, Alekhine would be totally unappreciated
by his mother country.
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- Law was Alekhine’s field of study at Imperial High School in Moscow,
and at the same time in 1909, Alekhine won the Russian Master title
in St. Petersburg at the young age of 16. This was the second time
a best-chess-player-in-the-world got a
law degree. Do you remember the plight of Paul Morphy? There was
one huge difference between Morphy and Alekhine even though both
were born wealthy chess players who got law degrees….In America,
Chess was not held in the same prestige as in Russia during Alekhine’s
time.
- (Morphy and Law)
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- In the summer of 1910, Alekhine played in the 17th German
Congress in Hamburg and ended up in 7th place. In 1911 and
1912, Alekhine did not have good results, because of the lack of
play. He was only able to win a minor tournament in Stockholm, Sweden
in 1912.
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- Unfortunately for Alekhine he didn’t win a major chess tournament
until 1914 in St. Petersburg, Russia, when he tied for 1st with
the rising chess star Aron Nimzovich. Alekhine called this his “Coup
de grace,” a term which apparently never wore out its stay, for
it frequently appeared in many of his chess writings (“Coup de Grace”
roughly translated means “final blow” in French).
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- A few months later after the “Coup de Grace” with Aron, Alekhine
played in the famous 1914 St. Petersburg tourney in which the five
finalists would be bestowed the title of “Grandmaster of Chess”
by Czar Nicholas the II of Russia. This was the first time the term
“Grandmaster” was used. Therefore, these 5 players would be the
first official 5 grandmasters in chess history. Alekhine came in
third place, behind Dr. Lasker who received 1st and Jose Capablanca
who got 2nd, but in front of Dr. Tarrasch, Marshall, and Aron Nimzovich.
Nice company of men! I dream of jumping in the middle of that picture
and screaming, “Patzers!”
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- When World War I broke out, Alekhine was made a prisoner of war
by the germans, who had captured him and all the other chess players
at the international tournament at Mannheim in 1914. Surprisingly
Alekhine was released a month later in which time he joined up with
the Russian Red Cross in Austria in which he was a member until
1916.
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- In 1918 Alekhine got a very interesting job as a criminal investigator in Moscow. The
job landed him in some kind of trouble though, which is historically
foggy, and in 1919 he was imprisoned in the death cell at Odessa.
Supposedly he was accused of being a spy. Alekhine was somehow able
to escape this predicament although no one knows for sure how. I
think Alekhine was a smooth talker, and the same way he smooth talked
so many wives, he was able to smooth talk his captors into letting
him go. That is just my Patzer theory.
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- In 1920 he was back on the streets, this time as an aspiring movie
actor. Although he never landed even a talking role, Capablanca,
his nemesis, was able to get a feature role in the film “Chess Fever”.
A failed actor, Alekhine settled for a job as an interpreter to
the Communist party and was assigned secretary to the Education
Department. Also in 1920 Alekhine returned to Moscow and married
a Russian baroness several years older than he. Interesting enough,
Alekhine not only left his wife later that year, but also left Russia
(and never came back).
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- In 1921 he married a Swiss common intern delegate, Anneliese Ruegg.
A few months later he abandoned his older second wife and went to
Berlin. He won three straight tournaments in Triberg, Budapest,
and The Hague. In Budapest he popularized what is now called the
Alekhine's defense, an opening that is still common today, but mostly
in amateur play.
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- 1922, he came in second in London, right on Capablanca’s heels,
and first at Hastings. In 1923 he tied for first at Carlsbad with
Bogoljubov and Maroczy. In 1924 he got slapped around by Lasker
and Capablanca coming in 3rd place in New York. In 1925 Alekhine
won his first international tournament since WWI, the Baden-Baden.
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- Alekhine gets his “Dr.” title in 1925 at the Sorbonne Law School
when he writes a thesis on the Chinese prison system. In February
of that same year “Dr. Alekhine” broke the world blindfold record
by playing 28 games simultaneously, winning 22, drawing 3 and losing
3.
- (Morphy’s blindfold chess)
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14
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- Dr. Alekine beats another Doctor (Max Euwe), in a match in 1926
and becomes the number one challenger against Capablanca (who was
the world champion at the time). Alekhine had just married for the
third time to another women much older than him, Nadezda Vasiliev.
She was the widow of a high-ranking Russian officer. In March 1927,
Alekhine took second place in New York, once again right on Capablanca’s
heels, with 5 wins, 13 draws, and 2 losses. In July of 1927 Alekhine
took first place at Kecskemet.
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- Alekhine was a great chess talent and a great lover of chess,
but he lived in the time of the greatest talent of all time…Jose
Capablanca. Capablanca was the reigning world champion of chess,
and one of the most dominant players of all time with the fewest
recorded losses. To beat Capa was a big staple to swallow,
and Alekhine studied for
10 years the games and openings
of Capa in order to prepare for their inevitable match. Capa in
the meantime, never opened a chess book, and did not prepare at
all for his match with Alekhine. By the way, Capablanca was the
most notorious ladies man of all the world champions.
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- Before Capablanca would play Alekhine for the World Championship
crown, he demanded that Alekine put up $10,000 in gold. Alekhine, determined to play after studying
for this match for over 10 years, used his connections to raise
the gold. He presented Capa with a briefcase of gold bullion with
his acceptance letter. The match began in Buenos Aires in 1927.
Unfortunately, on Capa’s request, all the games were behind closed
doors so there were no spectators and only one photograph was taken
(to the right). You see, world champions have always been able to
demand their playing conditions. So why was Fischer called such
a freak for demanding less spectators and less photographers in
his media circus matches?
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- On November 29, 1927 Dr. Alekhine beat Capablanca with 6 wins,
25 draws, and 3 losses and became the 4th world champion of chess!
Understand Capa was unbeaten in champion match play, and had the
fewest losses in his career than any other world champion.
This has to count as one of the toughest world championship
matches of all time!
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- At the 1930 Chess Olympiad he scored his first 100% score when
he won all 9 games as board one for France. Alekhine avoided Capablanca’s
challenge of a re-match like the plaque and instead traveled from
1929 to 1932, taking first place at San Remo, Bled, London, and
Pasadena. It is rumored that
because of the depression, Capablanca was not able to raise the
$10,000 that this time Alekhine was demanding. What goes around
comes around…but also, Alekhine probably knew that in a rematch…Capablanca
would win.
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- Alekhine had a severe love for chess, and was willing to play
constantly. For this reason he was able to tour the world playing
in Simultaneous Exhibitions. In 1932 he played up to 300 opponents
simultaneously from New York to Paris. In 1933 in Chicago Alekhine
played 32 people blindfolded simultaneously, winning 19, drawing
9, and losing 4. Alekhine is the most prolific of all the chess
world champions, we have more games of his than any other world
champion.
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- In 1934 Dr. Alekhine married for the 4th time to Grace Wishart,
a women 16 years older than him. She was the widow of an Englishman.
He had met her at a minor chess tournament which she had won. Her
prize was one of Dr. Alekhine's books. She asked him to sign the
book and their relationship developed from that moment on.
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- Here are some of the pictures of Alekhine and his new wife sight
seeing in Sofia (circa 1934).
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- In 1935, the Dutchman Dr. Euwe, challenged Alekhine for the world
championship. Alekhine, who had a liking for alcohol was frequently
drunk during his games with Euwe (not the best Chess Champion strategy)
and consequently lost his title. However in a rematch, after giving
up alcohol (alcohol free is the way to be), he defeated Euwe by
10 wins to 4 with 11 draws making him the first man to ever regain
the world championship title. If Alekhine was still alive he would
be a great spokesperson for AA.
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- Alekhine was representing France on board 1 at the Chess Olympiad
in Buenos Aires when WWII broke out. Alekhine quickly returned to
France to enlist in the army and became an interpreter. When France
was over-run Alekhine tried to go to America by traveling to Lisbon
and applying for an American Visa. To protect his wife and their
French assets, Alekhine agreed to cooperate with the Nazis. Alekhine
wrote a total of six articles criticizing Jewish chess players (jeus
the Nazis’s were relentless with anti-Semitism) and participated
in Nazi chess tournaments in Munich, Salzburg, Warsaw, and Prague.
Their was one incident where the Nazi’s raided his flat, when asked
about it Alekhine replied “The Germans have scientifically ransacked
my apartment.”
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- Alekhine was not only a brilliant chess player, but also an author.
He wrote two books dubbed My Best Games of Chess (Volumes I and
II). These are on the Academic Chess list
of best books ever written. In them, Alekhine’s analysis is brilliant
and clear.
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- Alekhine played (and won) the first Soviet chess championship
in 1920, making him the first soviet champion. This tournament was
played amidst a civil war.
- After this tourney, Alekhine left the soviet Union and never returned.
- Alekhine was not invited to play in the famed Moscow (his home
town) tournament in 1925. In conjunction with this we see him at
this time vilified by the Soviet press.
- He became a wanderer, playing chess feverishly, but jumping from
country to country.
- Alekhine died in Portugal. His body was nearly not claimedHis
funeral was paid for by the
Portuguese Chess Association.
- Alekhine was buried in Paris France.
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- By 1943 Dr. Alekhine was spending all of his time in Spain and
Portugal as the German representative to chess events. After World
War II he was not invited to chess tournaments because of his Nazi
affiliation, but still remained the world champion.
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- On the evening of March 23, 1946 Just as he was thought to accept
a match title with Botvinnik, Alekhine died in his hotel room in
Estoril, Portugal. Cause of death is speculative, but it is rumored
he died choking on piece of meat.
- Nimzovitch died playing in a chess tournament, Capablanca died
analyzing a chess position, Chernov’s final words after having a
heart attack during a chess game were, “I can beat him but I need
more time.”
- Alekhine dies choking on a piece of meat. Man this guys life,
and death, were tragic.
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- The body was not buried for three weeks, because no one would
claim him. Finally the Portuguese Chess Federation took charge of
the funeral. Sadly, less than a dozen people showed up for Alexander’s
burial. Alekhine had at least 6 wives…you think he would have had
more of a following! Alekhine in the end was not claimed by the
Soviets and was buried in Paris France. His gave site today is broken
down and uncared for. With all these tragic ends of chess champs…I
am not sure if I still want to become one.
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- Curiously, after 3 decades
of villification, Alekine was rehabilitated in the 1950s as seen
in Kotov's book on the Soviet Chess School.
He is there represented as a great Russian player in the
tradition of Tchigorin (the semi-mythical founder of the Soviet
School), who lost his way. But,
Kotov assures us, at the end of his life he realized his errors
and died Missing his homeland.
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- "Alekhine is a poet who creates a work of art out of something
that would hardly inspire another man to
send home a picture post card“
- (Max Euwe)
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31
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- The Most Brilliant Games of Alekhine
- The Biography of Alekhine
- Quotes of Alekhine
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Notes
