World Champions of Chess - Alexander Alekhine Quiz

Answer: 1927 - 1935.

Alekhine lost to Dutchman Max Euwe, an unlikely candidate for the title. Alekhine had beaten Capablanca in 1927, even though he had never been victorious against the Cuban before. Alekhine is said to have despised his foe, but he takes the opportunity to praise Capablanca's skill in the book "107 Great Chess Battles, 1939-1945", stating that: "Capablanca was snatched from the chess world much too soon. With his death we have lost a very great chess genius whose like we shall never see again."

Answer: He played some games while drunk.

He was, by his own admission, inebriated during some of his games against Euwe. The Dutchman won 9 games, lost 8, and drew 13 against the formidable Alekhine. Euwe was never a professional player, which means that Alekhine was beaten by an amateur, whose livelihood was teaching mathematics, and who received his doctorate in 1926.

Answer: False

Alexander Aleksandrovich Alekhine was born into the Russian Aristocracy in 1892. His father was a wealthy land-owner, and a member of the Duma. Alekhines mother taught him and his brother Alexei how to play chess when he was around 11 years old.

Answer: He was an anti-semite.

He wrote two infamous articles where he attacked the "Jewish way" of playing chess. His defence was that his wife would have suffered under the Nazi rule in occupied France, had he refused. The everlasting question is: Should excellence in a certain field suffice to forgive personal flaws?

Answer: Euwe.

Knowing full well that he was the superior player of the two, Alekhine hid the bottles and began exercising. He played through all of Euwes greatest games, memorizing his moves and dissecting his style. As a result, Alekhine not only beat Euwe in 1937, but walked all over him, winning 10 games, losing 4, and drawing 11.

It must be said to Euwes credit, that he did not dodge any challenges from Alekhine, but instantly agreed to let the former Champ have another go at the title. Alekhine told the following story how he was once asked: "How is it that you pick better moves than your opponents?" I responded: "I´m very glad you asked me that, because, as it happens, there is a very simple answer. I think up my moves, and I make my opponent think up his."

Answer: False

Nimzo never did have the cash required to challange the World Champion. It may have turned out as in the scenario above. It would most certainly have been a grueling experience for both players. Alekhine stated once that he thought Nimzowitsch, of all the masters, was the one worthy of a match for the Crown.

Answer: Botvinnik.

Botvinnik went ahead and won the tournament held to single out the new World Champion in 1948 instead. Keres, along with Rubinstein and Nimzowitsch, are the big "What If´s" of the chess world. All three had the ability and skill to beat their respective reigning World Champ.

The question is if Rubinstein, with his hyper-nervous disposition, could have handled the praise and attention that comes with such a feat, as well as the envy and criticizm from lesser players. Bogoljubow got his chance, twice, and was soundly beaten by the Champ. Ståhlberg, a Swedish master, did play Alekhine on occasion, but never won a game.

Answer: He played 28, won 22.

This happened in 1925, two years before he beat Capablanca. The final score was: winning 22, losing 3, drawing 3. He had played blindfold chess during a period when he was hospitalized, using his convalescence to concentrate on the board. That turned him into one of the best blindfold players ever.

Answer: A small chess-set.

He had apparently been analyzing a position when he died. The strange thing is that no one knows for certain what killed him. Some say heart-attack, others say that he choked on some meat. He had made a lot of enemies during his life, so the possibility remains that there may have been foul play involved.

Answer: a beast of prey and a monk.

"During a chess competition a chess-master should be a combination of a beast of prey and a monk". He also said that: "Chess is not only knowledge and logic." And: "What torment, to have your thinking and your fantasy tied down by another person!" Aint that the truth. If you want to know more about the man and his games, check out the internet.