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In the last couple of years, several videos have surfaced concerning the famous 1935 World Championship match between Alexander Alekhine and Max Euwe. Although it is not hard to find images of many world championships, they usually concern either a few shots of the players at the board, or the champion ceebrating the title with the time immemorial wreath and victor's cup.
In this, the footage stands out, as it shows scenes of the opening ceremony, with speeches and players, not to mention the day the title was won, showing a dazed and shocked Alekhine, still trying to grasp what had happened. Here are select images and the videos they came from.
Few names among the world champions have been subject to as many varied
(and wrong) pronunciations as that of Max Euwe. Here is a 16-second video
showing the correct pronunciation.
After Alexander Alekhine had issued his challenge to Max Euwe in 1933, Capablanca and Euwe commented on the forthcoming match on camera with interviewer Hans Hollander.
"Dr. Alekhine's game is 20% bluff. Dr. Euwe's game is clear and straightforward.
Dr. Euwe's game—not so strong as Alekhine's in some respects—is more evenly
balanced." Then Euwe gives his assessment in Dutch, explaining that his feelings
alternated from optimism to pessimism, but in the previous ten years, their score
had been evenly matched at 7–7.
This is the original footage in which you can hear Capablanca give his opinion in very clear English
When Euwe was challenged in 1933, he was regarded as one of three credible challengers (the others being José Raúl Capablanca and Salo Flohr). He accepted the challenge for October 1935. A year later he further confirmed his status as a proper challenger when at Zürich 1934, Euwe finished second, behind only World Champion Alexander Alekhine, whom he defeated in their game.
The match took place in the Netherlands, and was played in thirteen cities: Amsterdam, Delft, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Gouda, Gravenhage, Groningen, Baarn, Hertogenbosch, Eindhoven, Zeist, Ermelo, and Zandvoort. The match conditions were the best of 30 games, with at least six wins by the victor.
Minister of Education, Arts and Sciences J.R. Slotemaker de Bruin opens the
world championship opening ceremony.
He first speaks to Alekhine...
and then to Euwe (right leaning forward slightly).
They play a few moves for the camera, and Alekhine, with his delicate gestures,
gives his opponent a hard stare
Max Euwe makes a bit of a show, and then plays the... Budapest Gambit
His choice and showmanship immediately bring a smile from Alekhine
On December 15, 1935 after 30 games played in thirteen different cities around The Netherlands over a period of 80 days, Euwe defeated Alekhine by 15.5–14.5, becoming the fifth World Chess Champion. Alekhine quickly went two games ahead, and even enjoyed a three-point lead at game nine, but from game 13 onwards Euwe won twice as many games as Alekhine. His title gave a huge boost to chess in The Netherlands. This was also the first world championship match in which the players had seconds to help them with analysis during adjournments.
After the draw on game 30, Max Euwe was asked to say a few words
As Euwe spoke, the camera turned to show Alekhine who looks dazed and shocked
Euwe's win was regarded as a major upset – he reportedly had believed that beating Alekhine was unlikely – and is sometimes attributed to Alekhine's alcoholism. But Salo Flohr, who was helping Euwe during the match, thought over-confidence was more of a problem than alcohol for Alekhine in this match, and Alekhine himself said he would win easily. Former World Champions Vasily Smyslov, Boris Spassky, Anatoly Karpov, and Garry Kasparov analyzed the match for their own benefit and concluded that Euwe deserved to win and that the standard of play was worthy of a world championship.
Former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik has said that Euwe won the 1935 match on merit and that the result was not affected by Alekhine's drinking before or during the match.
Vladimir Kramnik in an interview:
The rumour was that he lost the title because of his drinking habit, then gave up the booze and won, which actually has nothing to do with reality. First of all, Euwe had a positive score (3-1 in decisive games) against Alekhine in the period between their match and return-match. This means that although Alekhine broke his drinking habit almost immediately after the match, Euwe kept on beating him. The return also saw an even contest. In the first match it was Alekhine who collapsed while in the return the same thing happened to Euwe who lost several games in a row. Why did it happen? Euwe might not have wanted to remain World Champion, the title might have been a heavy psychological burden for him. Anyway, I think that it did not happen by pure chance. The return was not a piece of cake for Alekhine; this myth should be dispelled.
It is worth adding that part of the myth behind the belief that drink was to blame, is the crushing score Alekhine inflicted on Euwe in the 1937 rematch, which he won by 15.5-9.5. What history sometimes forgets is that up until game 20 of that match, Alekhine only led by 11.0-9.0, which would never be described as crushing. For whatever the reason, Euwe collapsed after this, losing four of the final five games, hence Kramnik's logical assessment that the reason was probably not purely chess related, as Euwe had shown his ability up to the match, and during it, to face Alekhine at the board.
At a gala at the Carlton Hotel, Alexander Alekhine threw down the gauntlet
(in French): "I am proud and happy that the world of chess has a champion
who is a gentleman. I am proud and happy that this gentleman is honorable.
I take this opportunity to officially challenge my opponent. And I am happy,
without hypocrisy, that if I am not the champion, a Dutchman is the champion."
Max Euwe speaking (in Dutch) at the same gala
Alekhine at the table with his unique hand gestures
A courteous Alekhine congratulates Euwe, wearing the winner's wreath
A video with the footage of the opening ceremony, as well as the post-match speech,
and subsequent challenge by Alekhine
Video footage of the closing ceremony with Euwe wearing the winner's wreath
