Max Euwe

Machgielis (Max) Euwe born on May 20, 1901 in Watergraafsmeer, near Amsterdam. He was a Dutch chess player and the fifth player to become World Chess Champion (1935-1937).

Dr Max Euwe studied mathematics at the University of Amsterdam and taught mathematics, first in Rotterdam, later at a girls' Lyceum in Amsterdam. He applied his knowledge of mathematics to the question of infinite chess games, using the Thue-Morse sequence.

He won every Dutch chess championship that he participated in from 1921 until 1952, and additionally won the title in 1955. The only other winners during this period were Salo Landau (1936) and Hein Donner (1954). Altogether he won the title a record 12 times. He became amateur chess champion in 1928. 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. His title gave a huge boost to chess in The Netherlands.

He lost the title to Alekhine in 1937. After Alekhine's death in 1946, Euwe was considered by some to have a moral right to 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 which he finished last. His final great tournament was Zurich, 1953.

From 1970 (when he was 69 years old) until 1980, he was president of FIDE, and played an important role in organising the famous Boris Spassky-Bobby Fischer match. 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. He died on November 26, 1981.

Download 584 chess games by Max Euwe

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