Alexander Alekhine
Notable Games

Alexander Alekhine

20 celebrated games · 1282 in the full archive
Player Index ◈ Biography 1282 CURATED GAMES

Notable Games

  • 1914.08.01 Alekhine, Alexander vsFahrni, Hans 1-0 French Defense: Alekhine-Chatard Attack, Albin-Chatard Gambit 23 moves DSB Kongress-19 Meisterturnier-18 Mannheim 1914 — a youthful masterpiece from the German Chess Congress that World War I cut short with Alekhine in the lead. Against Hans Fahrni's French Defence he flung his rook's pawn forward (6.h4), tore open the h-file, and broke through with the bishop sacrifice 18.Bxe4 to hunt down the king, forcing resignation in 23 moves.
  • 1922.04.07 Tarrasch, Siegbert vsAlekhine, Alexander 0-1 Blumenfeld Countergambit Accepted 38 moves Bad Pistyan Breyer Memorial-A Bad Pistyan 1922 — Alekhine's famous Blumenfeld Countergambit (4...b5), which took one of the tournament's brilliancy prizes. Playing Black against the veteran Siegbert Tarrasch, he rolled up a mobile pawn centre and finished with a mating storm crowned by 34...Bxh3 and 38...Rxh3+.
  • 1922.08.12 Alekhine, Alexander vsYates, Frederick Dewhurst 1-0 Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Rubinstein Attack 38 moves British CF-15 London International London 1922 — a positional masterpiece Alekhine himself prized. In a Queen's Gambit Declined he built a lasting bind, marched his own king up the board into the attack (Kf2–g3–f4–e5), and broke through with the rook sacrifice 37.Rxg7 to beat Frederick Yates.
  • 1922.09.21 Bogoljubov, Efim vsAlekhine, Alexander 0-1 Dutch Defense: Nimzo-Dutch Variation 53 moves Hastings Six Masters Hastings 1922 — the game Irving Chernev called 'the most brilliant ever played' and Andrew Soltis ranked among the four best of the twentieth century. In a Dutch Defence Alekhine sacrificed his queen, let Efim Bogoljubow promote fresh queens and gave those up too, his own passed pawns crashing through to win.
  • 1923.02 Alekhine, Alexander vsSaemisch, Friedrich 1-0 Sicilian Defense: Old Sicilian 20 moves Alekhine casual Berlin 1923 — a celebrated attacking miniature from an exhibition game, nicknamed 'Shots in the Dark'. Against Friedrich Sämisch's Sicilian, Alekhine built up on the kingside and sacrificed his queen with 18.fxe6; after 19.exf7+ Sämisch resigned into a mating net on move 20 (20.Nd5).
  • 1923.04.29 Gruenfeld, Ernst vsAlekhine, Alexander 0-1 Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Rubinstein Attack 34 moves Karlsbad-03 International Masters Karlsbad 1923 — the 'Sixth Sense' game, in which Alekhine outplayed the great opening theoretician Ernst Grünfeld with the black pieces. He neutralised White's initiative, expanded in the centre with ...e5–e4, and won with the combination 30...Rxd4 and 34...Bd4+.
  • 1925.04.25 Reti, Richard vsAlekhine, Alexander 0-1 Hungarian Opening: Reversed Alekhine 40 moves Baden-Baden International Baden-Baden 1925 — one of the most beautiful games ever played, which Alekhine rated among his own finest and Kasparov called worthy to be named the most beautiful in chess history. Against Richard Réti's flank opening he launched a deep combination with 26...Re3, his knight and rook dancing through the position (...Nxe2+, ...Rxf3, ...Nd4) to a spectacular finish.
  • 1927.11.26 Alekhine, Alexander vsCapablanca, Jose Raul 1-0 Queen's Gambit Declined: Capablanca Variation, Anti-Cambridge Springs Variation 82 moves World-ch12 Alekhine-Capablanca +6-3=25 World Championship, Buenos Aires 1927 — the 34th and final game, a textbook rook endgame won with an outside passed pawn. Capablanca resigned the adjourned game by note, and Alekhine became the fourth World Champion after the longest title match then played (+6 −3 =25).
  • 1930.01.18 Alekhine, Alexander vsNimzowitsch, Aron 1-0 French Defense: Winawer Variation, Bogoljubow Variation 30 moves San Remo San Remo 1930 — the origin of 'Alekhine's Gun'. Stacking both rooks behind his queen on the c-file, Alekhine built pressure so total that Aron Nimzowitsch was squeezed into near-zugzwang and resigned; it capped the tournament Alekhine won by 3½ points.
  • 1931.01.10 Alekhine, Alexander vsVasic 1-0 French Defense: Winawer Variation 11 moves Alekhine sim Banja Luka 1931 — a dazzling miniature from a simultaneous exhibition. In a French Winawer, Alekhine sacrificed his queen with 10.Qxe6+ and mated with the bishop, 11.Bg6#, in just eleven moves.
  • 1934.07.25 Alekhine, Alexander vsLasker, Emanuel 1-0 Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Alekhine Variation 26 moves Zuerich International and SWZ-ch37 Zürich 1934 — a celebrated brilliancy against former World Champion Emanuel Lasker. From a Queen's Gambit Declined, Alekhine's pieces converged on the kingside and, after 25.Nf5+, he finished with the queen sacrifice 26.Qxg6, threatening unstoppable mate. Alekhine won the tournament with 13/15.
  • 1937.06.25 Alekhine, Alexander vsReshevsky, Samuel Herman 1-0 Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation, Alekhine Gambit 36 moves Kemeri International-01 Kemeri 1937 — Alekhine refuting his own invention. Samuel Reshevsky met him with the Alekhine Defence, but Alekhine outplayed the American star, won material, and forced mate with 36.Qxe5+.
  • 1937.10.16 Alekhine, Alexander vsEuwe, Max 1-0 Slav Defense: Slav Gambit, Alekhine Attack 23 moves World-ch16 Alekhine-Euwe +10-4=11 World Championship return match 1937 — a sharp win over the reigning champion Max Euwe. In a Slav, Alekhine sacrificed on f7 (16.Bxf7+) to strip the king and won in 23 moves. He took the rematch 15½–9½ to become the first player ever to regain the world title.
  • 1938.04.25 Alekhine, Alexander vsBook, Eero 1-0 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Steinitz Variation, Development Variation 25 moves Kent County CA-31 Premier Margate 1938 — a crisp attacking brilliancy against Eero Book. Alekhine sacrificed the exchange with 14.Rxd7, seized the initiative in the centre, and forced resignation on move 25.
  • 1938.11.19 Alekhine, Alexander vsCapablanca, Jose Raul 1-0 French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Closed Variation 35 moves AVRO AVRO 1938 — Alekhine's last win over his old rival Capablanca, in their final meeting. In a French Defence he advanced his kingside pawns (h4–h5, g4) and broke through with 26.Bg6+, a victory that helped him finish ahead of Capablanca for the first time.
  • 1911.08.21 Alekhine, Alexander vsVidmar, Milan Sr 1-0 Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Nimzowitsch Variation 38 moves Karlsbad-02 International Masters Karlovy Vary 1911 — a 38-move win with White against Milan Sr Vidmar. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part I, game 110 (PDF page 734).
  • 1913.07.29 Mieses, Jacques vsAlekhine, Alexander 0-1 Center Game: Paulsen Attack Variation 33 moves Scheveningen Scheveningen 1913 — a 33-move win with Black against Jacques Mieses. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part I, game 111 (PDF page 738).
  • 1927.10.08 Capablanca, Jose Raul vsAlekhine, Alexander 0-1 Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Bogoljubow Variation 66 moves World-ch12 Alekhine-Capablanca +6-3=25 World Championship 1927, game 11 — a 66-move win with Black against Jose Raul Capablanca. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part I, game 125 (PDF page 820).
  • 1931.09.02 Alekhine, Alexander vsFlohr, Salo 1-0 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Steinitz Variation, Development Variation 29 moves Bled International Bled 1931 — a 29-move win with White against Salo Flohr. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part I, game 137 (PDF page 909).
  • 1943.04.26 Alekhine, Alexander vsPodgorny, Jiri 1-0 Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Barmen Defense 28 moves Prague International Prague 1943 — a 28-move win with White against Jiri Podgorny. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part I, game 148 (PDF page 968).
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