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Chess 31 Mar 1946, Sun The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio) Newspapers.com
With the Chess and Checker Players
By David Robb
Dr. Alekhine Passes On
At the comparatively early age of 53 Dr. Alexander A. Alekhine, world chess champion, died of heart trouble last Sunday in Estoril, near Lisbon, Portugal. Thus ended a brilliant chess career which was clouded throughout the war years by charges that he collaborated with the Nazis and that he had anti-Semitism leanings.
Dr. Alekhine became world champion at Buenos Aires in 1927 when he surprised the chess world by defeating the late Jose Capablanca, 5-3, with 25 draws. After sidestepping requests for a return match, Dr. Alekhine was challenged by Dr. Max Euwe of Holland in 1935 and lost the title to the Netherlands mathematician, nine games to eight. In a return match two years later Dr. Alekhine easily regained his title, winning, 11-6. He never risked his title again, although Capablanca consistently sought a rematch, and Salo Flohr of Prague was voted the official challenger by the chess masters. Before the Dr. Euwe match Bogoljobov challenged and was defeated.
During the war Alekhine lived in Vichy, France, and while there, in October, 1942, wrote in a Nazi-controlled newspaper that in the new era (when the Nazis hoped to be the No. 1 power in Europe) “the United States would have nothing to say in the world of chess.” Again, at an international tournament in Munich during the war, he stated such tourneys “stresses the leading role played by new Europe and marks the end of the, to say the least, inopportune interference of America in European chess questions.” Later, after the war, he asserted such statements were made under duress.
Dr. Alekhine was invited to participate in the last Hastings Christmas tournament, the one in which Denker and Steiner took part. However, the invitation was recalled after protests by American and British players, who refused to play if he were included.
Notwithstanding all this, one must admit Dr. Alekhine's chess greatness. His middle game was wellnigh perfect, and his end game was inferior to none. Reuben Fine, in his latest book, “Chess Marches On,” states it is likely Alekhine was not as good as he was five years ago. However, Fine also states that “it must never be forgotten that he was one of the greatest chess artists of all time.”
Dr. Alekhine visited this country in 1924 in the great New York tournament and finished third behind Dr. Lasker and Capablanca. Three years later he returned to New York and finished second in a tourney to Capablanca. Out of this came the challenge for a world championship match.
As a blindfold simultaneous player he was considered unsurpassed. In 1925 he played 12 experts at 28 boards, winning 22 games, losing three and drawing three. At the last World Fair in Chicago he gave a similar demonstration of his skill in this phase of the game. Alekhine was truly one of the chess greats.
Just a month ago he was challenge to a match by Botvinnik, the Russian master. The match was to take place in England and the stake was $10,000.
Typical Alekhine Finish
This game was played by Dr. Alekhine in a simultaneous exhibition in New York in 1924. The finish is beautiful. A double threat is alarming enough, but here we have three distinct threats of mate, a magnificent achievement. His opponent was Kussman.
Alexander Alekhine vs Leon Kussman
Simul, 18b (1924) (exhibition), Newspaper Club, New York, NY USA, Jan-13
Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense (D40) 1-0
15. … P-N3(a)—This allows a splendid termination.
16. Q-N5ch (b)—The surprise move. Either QxQ or N-B3 allows N-B6, mate.
17. KR-K1(c)—Again if QxQ, N-B6 mate.
17. … B-N5(d)—There does not seem to be anything better.
20. Q-K5 Resigns(e)—Mate is threatened in three places. A short, beautiful game.
