Alekhine vs Champions & Prodigies Decisive Games

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Alekhine vs Champions & Prodigies Decisive Games
Compiled by Okavango

The Romance of the Chess World Championship Match and the World Champions that won them:

There can only be Two.

The Champion to hold the Title he beat all the masters for.

The Challenger on quest for same Title of yore.

Alexander Alekhine

Alexander Alekhine has been the model for imaginative attacking and tactical play for generations of chessplayers. He has been inspirational to champion tacticians such as Tal, Spassky, and Kasparov. Contrary to popular conception, the brilliant Alekhine was probably at least a match for the rising youngsters of the 1930s. Alekhine got edged by Botvinnik (0 - 1) and Fine (2 - 3) by only one game. Alekhine in turn edged Reshevsky (2 - 1) by one game. One game differences are not conclusive. On the other hand Alekhine was crushing against Keres (5 to 1) and Flohr (5 to 0). Looking at the whole forest and not merely at the trees, Alekhine's integrated decisive games total against all the rising stars of the succeeding generation was a stunning 14 to 6. In particular there has been a popular notion that Botvinnik in the 1930s had already surpassed Alekhine in chess strength. The fact is that Botvinnik's 1930s match records against Flohr (+2 -2 =8 in 1933) and Levenfish (+5 -5 =3 in 1937) were just ties. There are no convincing data that Botvinnik would have fared better against Alekhine, who was dominating against both Flohr and Levenfish, had they played in a similar match in the 1930s. Hence, had Alekhine come in sober and as fanatically prepped as usual, he probably would have beaten any of the rising stars of the 1930s (Botvinnik, Keres, Fine, Reshevsky, Flohr) in a World Championship Match before WW2.

It is scarcely known but Alekhine was the last Russian Empire Chess Champion in 1914 (together with Nimzovich) and the first Soviet Union Chess Champion in 1920. The Soviet school of chess may directly owe its well-known propensity for analysis and well prepared openings and novelties to Alekhine, who was known to study chess 8 hours a day, analyzing games and preparing opening novelties. Overshadowed in his early career by Lasker and Capablanca, Alekhine may well have been one of the most driven chess players to seek the World Title, already planning in advance for his match with Capablanca, whom he expected to become World Champion, as youngster before WW1 when Lasker still held the Title.

Alekhine is also the best blindfold chess practitioner in history; some of his simultaneous blindfold feats almost defy belief not only for the mass of his games but for their quality as well. He had to have a photographic memory in order to accomplish this, which raises an interesting question. Given a chess master with a photographic memory, unequaled work ethic, fantastic combinative and creative powers, and given a computer and chess opening data base, what kind of opening monster would he have become if he were active today?

I am also doubling this with all of Alekhine's decisive classical games against the World Champions.

Alexander Alekhine vs. Emanuel Lasker 1 - 3 (plus 4 draws)

Alexander Alekhine vs. Jose Raul Capablanca 7 - 9 (plus 33 draws)

Alexander Alekhine vs. Max Euwe 26 - 20 (plus 38 draws)

Alexander Alekhine vs. Mikhail Botvinnik 0 to 1, (plus 2 draws)

Alekhine vs. Fine 2 - 3 (plus 4 draws)
Alekhine vs Fine, 1937
(C90) Ruy Lopez, Closed, 37 moves, 1-0
Fine vs Alekhine, 1937
(A90) Dutch, 60 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Fine, 1937
(D23) Queen's Gambit Accepted, 37 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Fine, 1938
(C83) Ruy Lopez, Open, 68 moves, 0-1
Fine vs Alekhine, 1938
(C72) Ruy Lopez, Modern Steinitz Defense, 5.O-O, 46 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Keres 5 - 1 (plus 8 draws)
Alekhine vs Keres, 1935
(C79) Ruy Lopez, Steinitz Defense Deferred, 37 moves, 1-0
Keres vs Alekhine, 1936
(E33) Nimzo-Indian, Classical, 75 moves, 0-1
Keres vs Alekhine, 1937
(C71) Ruy Lopez, 23 moves, 1-0
Keres vs Alekhine, 1942
(C34) King's Gambit Accepted, 51 moves, 0-1
Alekhine vs Keres, 1942
(C86) Ruy Lopez, Worrall Attack, 56 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Keres, 1942
(E17) Queen's Indian, 33 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Reshevsky 2 - 1 (plus 2 draws)
Alekhine vs Reshevsky, 1932
(D35) Queen's Gambit Declined, 96 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Reshevsky, 1936
(D04) Queen's Pawn Game, 61 moves, 0-1
Alekhine vs Reshevsky, 1937
(B04) Alekhine's Defense, Modern, 36 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Flohr 5 - 0 (plus 7 draws)
Flohr vs Alekhine, 1931
(C46) Three Knights, 40 moves, 0-1
Alekhine vs Flohr, 1931
(D26) Queen's Gambit Accepted, 29 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Flohr, 1932
(D05) Queen's Pawn Game, 28 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Flohr, 1936
(C15) French, Winawer, 57 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Flohr, 1938
(C84) Ruy Lopez, Closed, 42 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Emanuel Lasker 1 - 3 (plus 4 draws)
Alekhine vs Lasker, 1914
(C68) Ruy Lopez, Exchange, 89 moves, 0-1
Lasker vs Alekhine, 1914
(D08) Queen's Gambit Declined, Albin Counter Gambit, 35 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Lasker, 1924
(D35) Queen's Gambit Declined, 36 moves, 0-1
Alekhine vs Lasker, 1934
(D67) Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defense, Bd3 line, 26 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Capablanca 7 - 9 (plus 33 draws)
Capablanca vs Alekhine, 1913
(D30) Queen's Gambit Declined, 35 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Capablanca, 1913
(C88) Ruy Lopez, 42 moves, 0-1
Capablanca vs Alekhine, 1914
(C11) French, 45 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Capablanca, 1914
(C62) Ruy Lopez, Old Steinitz Defense, 35 moves, 0-1
Alekhine vs Capablanca, 1927
(E16) Queen's Indian, 42 moves, 0-1
Capablanca vs Alekhine, 1927
(C01) French, Exchange, 43 moves, 0-1
Capablanca vs Alekhine, 1927
(A47) Queen's Indian, 42 moves, 1-0
Capablanca vs Alekhine, 1927
(D52) Queen's Gambit Declined, 36 moves, 1-0
Capablanca vs Alekhine, 1927
(D52) Queen's Gambit Declined, 66 moves, 0-1
Alekhine vs Capablanca, 1927
(D64) Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox, Rubinstein Attack, 41 moves, 1-0
Capablanca vs Alekhine, 1927
(D63) Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defense, 32 moves, 0-1
Capablanca vs Alekhine, 1927
(D52) Queen's Gambit Declined, 70 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Capablanca, 1927
(D51) Queen's Gambit Declined, 63 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Capablanca, 1927
(D51) Queen's Gambit Declined, 82 moves, 1-0
Capablanca vs Alekhine, 1936
(A92) Dutch, 38 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Capablanca, 1938
(C05) French, Tarrasch, 35 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Euwe 26 - 20 (plus 38 draws)
Alekhine vs Euwe, 1921
(D32) Queen's Gambit Declined, Tarrasch, 20 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Euwe, 1922
(D02) Queen's Pawn Game, 50 moves, 1-0
Euwe vs Alekhine, 1927
(A04) Reti Opening, 27 moves, 0-1
Alekhine vs Euwe, 1927
(D34) Queen's Gambit Declined, Tarrasch, 71 moves, 0-1
Euwe vs Alekhine, 1926
(E21) Nimzo-Indian, Three Knights, 40 moves, 0-1
Euwe vs Alekhine, 1927
(A09) Reti Opening, 42 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Euwe, 1926
(E88) King's Indian, Samisch, Orthodox, 7.d5 c6, 35 moves, 1-0
Euwe vs Alekhine, 1934
(D31) Queen's Gambit Declined, 53 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Euwe, 1935
(D17) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 30 moves, 1-0
Euwe vs Alekhine, 1935
(D81) Grunfeld, Russian Variation, 45 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Euwe, 1935
(C15) French, Winawer, 41 moves, 1-0
Euwe vs Alekhine, 1935
(D81) Grunfeld, Russian Variation, 44 moves, 0-1
Alekhine vs Euwe, 1935
(C15) French, Winawer, 41 moves, 1-0
Euwe vs Alekhine, 1935
(D45) Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, 69 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Euwe, 1935
(C15) French, Winawer, 41 moves, 1-0
Euwe vs Alekhine, 1935
(D45) Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, 41 moves, 1-0
Euwe vs Alekhine, 1935
(D97) Grunfeld, Russian, 36 moves, 1-0
Euwe vs Alekhine, 1935
(D82) Grunfeld, 4.Bf4, 41 moves, 1-0
Euwe vs Alekhine, 1935
(D12) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 65 moves, 0-1
Alekhine vs Euwe, 1935
(D16) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 57 moves, 1-0
Euwe vs Alekhine, 1935
(D17) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 41 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Euwe, 1935
(D17) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 40 moves, 0-1
Alekhine vs Euwe, 1935
(D52) Queen's Gambit Declined, 45 moves, 0-1
Euwe vs Alekhine, 1935
(A90) Dutch, 47 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Euwe, 1935
(C27) Vienna Game, 41 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Euwe, 1936
(C49) Four Knights, 60 moves, 0-1
Alekhine vs Euwe, 1936
(C02) French, Advance, 81 moves, 1-0
Euwe vs Alekhine, 1937
(D17) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 50 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Euwe, 1937
(D17) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 41 moves, 1-0
Euwe vs Alekhine, 1937
(D28) Queen's Gambit Accepted, Classical, 41 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Euwe, 1937
(D10) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 23 moves, 1-0
Euwe vs Alekhine, 1937
(D18) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, Dutch, 34 moves, 0-1
Alekhine vs Euwe, 1937
(E34) Nimzo-Indian, Classical, Noa Variation, 26 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Euwe, 1937
(E34) Nimzo-Indian, Classical, Noa Variation, 40 moves, 1-0
Euwe vs Alekhine, 1937
(D18) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, Dutch, 68 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Euwe, 1937
(E00) Queen's Pawn Game, 52 moves, 1-0
Euwe vs Alekhine, 1937
(D19) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, Dutch, 41 moves, 1-0
Euwe vs Alekhine, 1937
(E16) Queen's Indian, 32 moves, 0-1
Alekhine vs Euwe, 1937
(A09) Reti Opening, 62 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Euwe, 1937
(D40) Queen's Gambit Declined, Semi-Tarrasch, 41 moves, 1-0
Euwe vs Alekhine, 1937
(E46) Nimzo-Indian, 43 moves, 0-1
Euwe vs Alekhine, 1937
(D40) Queen's Gambit Declined, Semi-Tarrasch, 41 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Euwe, 1937
(A09) Reti Opening, 37 moves, 1-0
Euwe vs Alekhine, 1937
(D29) Queen's Gambit Accepted, Classical, 37 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Euwe, 1937
(D40) Queen's Gambit Declined, Semi-Tarrasch, 40 moves, 0-1
Alekhine vs Euwe, 1938
(D14) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, Exchange Variation, 41 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Botvinnik 0 to 1 (plus 2 draws)
Botvinnik vs Alekhine, 1938
(D41) Queen's Gambit Declined, Semi-Tarrasch, 51 moves, 1-0
86 games

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