Chess lessons › Famous chess games
Max Euwe
A champion who taught mathematics: Euwe holds Alekhine’s attack, then wins the rook ending.
The idea
The champion meets Alekhine’s attack with a knight fork.
- The knight on f6 goes to e4, where the pawn on d5 guards it.
- From e4 the knight eyes f2, though the rook on f1 guards it for now.
- The king on h1 and the queen on d3 are both a knight’s jump from f2.
In a game: When the enemy king and queen share a knight square, aim a knight at it.
How the lesson begins
Max Euwe was born in the Netherlands in 1901. He taught mathematics and played chess as an amateur. In 1935 he beat Alexander Alekhine in a match in the Netherlands and became world champion. Alekhine won the title back in their return match in 1937.
Here is a game from Amsterdam in 1936, while Euwe was champion. Alekhine has White, Euwe has Black.
Alekhine’s knight reaches f5, and his g- and f-pawns move up towards Black’s king. The engine rates White better here.
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 d6 7. Ne2 Ne7 8. c3 Ba5 9. Ng3 c6 10. Ba4 Ng6 11. d4 Re8 12. Bb3 exd4 13. cxd4 Be6 14. Ng5 Bxb3 15. Qxb3 Qd7 16. f3 h6 17. Nh3 Re6 18. Nf4 Nxf4 19. Bxf4 Bb6 20. Rad1 Rae8 21. Kh1 d5 22. e5 Nh7 23. Nf5 The knight jumps to f5, close to Black’s king.
- 23... f6 24. g4 The g-pawn goes forward.
- 24... fxe5 25. Bxe5 Nf6 26. Qd3 Kh8 27. Rg1 Bc7 28. f4 And now the f-pawn.
- 28... Qf7 29. Rdf1 Bxe5 30. fxe5
Find the move
Black to move. Find the knight move that gets ready for a fork on f2.
A hint
The knight on f6 needs a safe square from which it can reach f2.
Show the answer
30... Ne4
30...Ne4 The pawn on d5 guards the knight. From e4 the knight eyes f2, a square a knight’s jump from both the king on h1 and the queen on d3.