The 1935 World Championship: Alekhine vs. Euwe
When Alexander Alekhine agreed to defend his world title against the Dutch grandmaster Max Euwe in 1935, most observers expected a routine defense. Euwe was a strong and highly respected player — a mathematics professor who brought rigorous analytical preparation to the game — but Alekhine was the reigning world champion and considered in a different class. The result shocked the chess world.
Max Euwe
Max Euwe (1901–1981) was the strongest Dutch player of his era and one of the leading grandmasters in the world. Unlike many top players, he maintained a full academic career throughout his chess life, working as a mathematics teacher and later professor. His approach to chess was methodical and deeply prepared: he was known for extensive opening research and precise calculation.
Euwe had played Alekhine in a match in 1926, losing. But in the nine years since, he had continued to improve, and his analytical preparation for the 1935 match was exhaustive. He studied Alekhine's weaknesses — both in chess terms and in terms of the champion's inconsistent form when not fully fit.
The Match
Played across the Netherlands in multiple cities over two months, the match went the full thirty games. Euwe won the title with fifteen and a half points to Alekhine's fourteen and a half — winning nine games to Alekhine's eight, with thirteen draws.
Alekhine's form during the match was erratic. There were games of great brilliance, but also blunders and lapses in concentration that were unlike him. His personal difficulties — particularly his drinking — were widely reported as a factor. Whatever the cause, his play was not at the level of his best years.
Reaction and Rematch
The chess world was stunned. Alekhine immediately demanded a rematch, which under the conventions of the time Euwe was obliged to grant. The two years between the matches saw Alekhine reportedly put his personal affairs in order and prepare with the same thoroughness he had brought to 1927.
See: The 1937 Rematch
Euwe's Place in Chess History
Despite holding the world title for only two years, Euwe's place in chess history is secure. His analytical work was significant; his books on chess theory were widely read and influential. He later served as President of FIDE, the international chess federation, from 1970 to 1978, playing a major role in the sport's administration during a turbulent era that included the Fischer-Spassky match.