He was the fifth World Champion, and though he held the title for barely two years, his achievement of defeating Alexander Alekhine in 1935 is still regarded as one of the great long shot victories in all of sports. Machgielis “Max” Euwe (pronounced “ervor” as in “fervor”) was never a chess “professional.” Having obtained a doctorate in mathematics in 1926, his chief means of support was as an academic, and chess was only a hobby. But what a hobbyist he was! Euwe started playing at age four, became the Dutch National Champion at age 20, and World Champion at age 34! He was president of FIDE from 1970–1978, and had the burdensome tasks of overseeing the controversial Fischer/Spassky 1972 match and the Karpov/Korchnoi 1978 match. Despite his reputation as the consummate gentleman, Max could take down the game’s big boys with the ferocity of a tiger! The game below comes from the famous 1953 Zurich International Chess Tournament. Although finishing second to last against luminaries such as Smyslov, Bronstein, Keres, Najdorf, and Reshevesky, his round two thumping of Yefim Geller created sufficient Euwe Fervor to earn a brilliancy prize!

[Click HERE for floating game board.]

Geller/Euwe: Nimzoindian Defense, Zurich Candidates’ Tournament, 1953. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 c5 5. a3 Bc3+ 6. bxc b6 7. Bd3 Bb7 8. f3 Nc69. Ne2 0-0 10. 0-0 Na5 . (Keene:”After the text, it is clear that Black will win White’s c pawn, but at the cost of allowing a storm to burst over his king.”) 11. e4 Ne8 12. Ng3 cd 13. cd Rc8 14. f4 Nxc4 15. f5 f6 16. Rf4 (D. Bronstein: “White’s attack has become rather threatening. …Euwe, however is not easily flustered. Remember…he played more than seventy games with Alekhine…” ) b5 17. Rh4 Qb6 18. e5 Nxe5 19. fe Nxd3 20.Qxd3 Qxe6 (if 20. …g6, then the storm bursts 21. Bh6 Ng7 22. Bxg7 Kxg7 23. Nf5+ gxf 24. Qxf5 Rh8 25. Rg4+ Kf8 Qxf6+) 21. Qh7+ Kf7 22. Bh6 Rh8! (Bronstein: “If Black’s 16th was the beginning of his strategic counterattack, then this rook sacrifice is it’s fundamental stroke…”) 23. Qh8 Rc2 24. Rc1? (Analysts have long debated whether 24. d5 was sufficient to save White. Dreyer’s line 24. d5 Qb6+ 25. Kh1 Qf2 26. Rg1 Bd5 27. Re4 Be4 28. Ne4 Qh4 shows White is cooked no matter what.) Rg2 25. Kf1 Qb3 26. Ke1 Qf3 0-1