Alexander Alekhine, a Russian-born French chess grandmaster who hogged the limelight in the early 20th century as far as chess is concerned. His rare gift of using strategy, technical prowess, and playing style characterized by utmost steadfastness saw him titled World Chess Champion-3. Chess was not just a game but more less an art form for him until his death.
Birth and Early Childhood
Alexander Alekhine a son of famous a lawyer, was born in Moscow, Russia on November 30, 1892. Since early childhood, he was in love with chess, which his father taught him. It was plain to see that young Alekhine had great talent for chess and he was soon ranked as one of the strongest chess players of his time.
Education and Chess Development
Due to World War I Alekhine’s traditional studies were halted when he went to fight for his country. However, amidst all this turbulence, the war-torn young man found time to continue with his chess daily routines. This made him a skilled participant in various competitions where he always showed magnificent results.
Chess Career and World Championship
Alekhine’s rise to the top of the chess hierarchy was meteoric.The championships he won included the Russian Championship in 1912, followed by the German Championship in 192 just to mention but a few from a long list of events where he emerged victorious- thus his nickname “Alekhine Gambit” came into existence owing to his aggressive tactics that would leave no room for an error with players who liked attacking during games.
But his climactic moment arrived in 1927 when he soundly defeated José Raúl Capablanca; this remains one of the most epic combats won by any player in the realm of chess history. The title holder was retained and held within his clutches until 1944 after beating nearly every top contender who came against him.
World Championship Defenses and Challenges
During his time as the World Champion, Alekhine had several aspirants challenging him.He defended the title successfully against such challengers as Efim Bogolyubov and Max Euwe. But in 1935, Alekhine faced a threat from Euwe and lost in a match that caused ripples across the world of chess.
Nevertheless, he did not give up and within twelve months he managed to win back his title in a return match with Euwe. Such a win confirmed again that he was among the greatest chess players who ever lived.
Contributions to Chess Theory
Though known as an exceptional player who has participated in the most important tournaments around Europe, Alekhine also wrote several articles on chess theory; analyzing games or explaining new strategies while examining various aspects of this game. Even in today’s chess arena, we continue to study some of the ideas he put forth in his works.
Later Life and Death
The remained years for Alekhine are referred to as the time of fall due to personal and health problems. Eventually, Alekhine would die from death hunger problems in Lisbon.
As we commemorate Alexender Alekhine’s death day which falls every 21st March 1946, we still remember him as the chess master. For decades to come, there will always be future generations who will be motivated by his chess development contributions.