Max (Machgielis) Euwe - Biography, Notable chess games, Quotes

Dutch mathematician and chess grand master (the only amateur to win the world championship in the chess history), born in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He was world champion from 1935, when he had a surprise victory over Alekhine, until 1937, when Alekhine, who had adopted a regime of rigid self-discipline, won the return match. Euwe then went back to lecturing on mathematics and mechanics, and in 1964–71 taught the methodology of automated information processing in Rotterdam and Tilburg. He was president of FIDE (the International Chess Federation), 1970–8, arbitrating over the turbulent Fischer–Spassky world championship match in Reykjavík, Iceland, in 1972. He wrote several books on chess, which were translated into several languages.

Machgielis (Max) Euwe (last name is pronounced /ø:wə/) (May 20, 1901 – November 26, 1981) was a Dutch chess player.

Biography

Dr Max Euwe was born in Watergraafsmeer, near Amsterdam.

He won every Dutch chess championship that he participated in from 1921 until 1952, and additionally won the title in 1955.

On December 15, 1935 after 30 games played in 13 different cities over a period of 80 days, he defeated reigning world champion Alexander Alekhine, becoming the 5th World Chess Champion.

Euwe's win was a major upset, and is sometimes attributed to Alekhine's alcoholism. However Euwe's performances in the great tournaments of Nottingham, 1936 and the AVRO 1938 indicate he was a worthy champion, even if he was not as dominant as his predecessors. After Alekhine's death in 1946, Euwe was considered by some to have a moral right to the position of world champion, but he graciously consented to participate in the five-contestant tournament to select the new world champion held in 1948.

In 1957 Euwe played a short match against 14 year old future world champion Bobby Fischer, winning one game and drawing the other.

He also wrote many books on chess, of which the most famous are Oordeel en Plan (Judgement and Planning) and a series about the opening.

In Amsterdam there is a Max Euwe Plein (square) (near the Leidseplein), where the 'Max Euwe Stichting' is located in an old jailhouse. It has a Max Euwe museum and a large collection of chess books. NOTE: a recent visit to Amsterdam (Oct/2006) shows that while the large chess set and statue is still at Max Euwe Plein, the museum no longer is. (IMDB Entry)

Notable chess games

Max Euwe vs Alexander Alekhine, Zandvoort-Wch 1935 (26th game of the match), Dutch (A90), 1-0 Game called "The Pearl of Zandvoort"; the decisive victory of the match and at the same time a beautiful demonstration of the strength of passed pawns Paul Keres vs Max Euwe, Zandvoort 1936, French Defense: Advance Variation. Nimzowitsch System (C02), 0-1 Struggle around the advanced White Pe5 transforms into an attack against the White King Yefim Geller vs Max Euwe, Zurich (candidates tournament) 1953 Nimzo-Indian Defense, Saemisch Variation, 0-1 Geller tries to smash Euwe off the board, but Euwe sacrifices a rook for a deadly counterattack Max Euwe vs Robert James Fischer, New York m 1957, Queen's Gambit Declined (D35), 1-0 The ex-champion teaches the future champion how to attack in a very witty short game

Quotes

"Strategy requires thought; - Max Euwe "Does the general public, do even our friends the critics realize that Euwe virtually never made an unsound combination? – Alexander Alekhine "If Richard Reti was interested only in the exceptions to positional rules, then Max Euwe believed perhaps a little too much in their immutability." – Hans Kmoch "Euwe can only breathe freely when he is smothered in work." – Hans Kmoch "Euwe resting would not be Euwe.