Internationales und 37 Schweizerisches Schachturnier in Z�rich 1934
Internationales und 37 Schweizerisches Schachturnier in Z�rich 1934
Internationales und 37 Schweizerisches Schachturnier in Z�rich 1934
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Internationales und 37 Schweizerisches Schachturnier in Z�rich 1934

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Author: Alekhine, Alexander Alexandrovich (1892-1946)

Year: 1935

Publisher: Herausgegeben von der Schachgesellschaft

Place: Zürich

Description:

272 pages with plates, diagrams and tables. Royal octavo (9" x 6 1/2) bound in maroon cloth with gilt lettering to spine. (Linde-Niemeijeriana: 5485) First edition.

The 37th Swiss Championship, held in Zurich, Switzerland from July 14th to the 28th, 1934 was an international tournament event. Many elite European chess masters, including the then-current World Champion, joined Switzerland's best for a round robin tournament. The participants were: from France, world champion Alexander Alekhine, and Ossip Bernstein; from Germany, former world champion Emanuel Lasker, and Efim Bogoljubov; from Denmark, Aron Nimzowitsch; from the Netherlands, Max Euwe; from Czechoslovakia, Salomon Flohr; from Sweden, Gideon St�hlberg; from Italy, Stefano Rosselli del Turco; and from Switzerland, Henri Grob, Fritz Gygli, Walter Henneberger, Hans Johner, Hermann Joss, Hans Mueller, and Oskar Naegeli.About a month before the tournament began, Euwe had accepted Alekhine's terms for a championship match to be held in the autumn of the next year. Euwe would win that 1935 World Championship match, becoming the fifth world chess champion. The Czech master Flohr was considered a worthy championship challenger for many years in the 1930s, but the Great Depression and German occupation of Czechoslovakia made it impossible for Flohr to arrange a match. Flohr was leading after 11 rounds, but Alekhine caught up in round 12 when they each had 10 points, a half point ahead of Euwe and a full point ahead of Bogoljubov. Alekhine took the lead in round 13 with a win over Gideon St�hlberg (Sweden) while Flohr drew with Bogoljubov.One month earlier Bogoljubov had lost the 1934 World Championship match, his second attempt to challenge Alekhine. At Zurich he finished fourth at 11�, a half point behind Euwe and Flohr. Lasker was returning to competition for the first time since Moscow 1925�a nine-year layoff. Lasker started strong, beginning the tournament with a fine win playing black against Euwe in round 1. After 7 rounds Lasker was tied for the lead with Flohr at 5� points. At age 65 and being out of practice, Lasker was at a disadvantage in a long tournament and lost in rounds 8, 10 and 12 to Bogoljubov, Nimzowitsch, and Alekhine to finish at a very creditable fifth with 10 points. This was the only time that Alekhine beat Lasker, and the first time that Bogoljubov and Nimzowitsch did so. Earlier in round 5 St�hlberg and Lasker played for the first time in their careers, with the younger Swede victorious. Aron Nimzowitsch (Denmark) was formerly a world championship contender, but in 1934 his health was declining and he would die just a year later at age 48. He finished tied for sixth with Ossip Bernstein (France). Bernstein was a tournament veteran who would be in the inaugural group of grandmasters when FIDE created the title in 1950. According to a well-known anecdote, after missing a winning line against Fritz Gygli (Switzerland), Bernstein is reported to have asked "Am I not a chess idiot?" When Lasker agreed, Bernstein had the former world champion sign an affidavit attesting to that fact.

Condition:

Old price on front end paper else a very good copy.