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5 unusual facts about Alexander Alekhine


1909 Alekhin

The asteroid was named in honor of Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Alekhin, a Russian-French chess champion.

Antonio Rico

(ESP-ch, semifinal); took 4th at Gijón 1944 (1st it, Alexander Alekhine won); won in semifinal and tied for 3rd-4th in final of Spanish championship at Bilbao 1945 (Antonio Medina won).

Hans Fahrni

In 1914, he tied for 7-8th in Baden bei Wien (Spielmann won), and tied for 13-14th in Mannheim (the 19th DSB-Congress, interrupted tournament, Alexander Alekhine won first prize).

Ruy Lopez, Noah's Ark Trap

::Alexander Alekhine recommended this move in the tournament book for New York 1924 as a means for White to draw, but it is a mistake that loses material.

Walter Henneberger

He shared 9th at Bern 1932 (Alexander Alekhine won), took 10th at Zürich 1934 (Alekhine won), took 11th at Bad Liebwerda 1934 (Salo Flohr won), and tied for 5-8th at Lucerne 1950 (SUI-ch, Hans Johner won).


Danish Gambit

The Danish Gambit was popular with masters of the attack including Alekhine, Marshall, Blackburne, and Mieses, but as more defensive lines for Black were discovered and improved, it lost favor in the 1920s.

Frederick Yates

His victory against Alexander Alekhine at Karlsbad in 1923 won the brilliancy prize, while his win against Milan Vidmar at San Remo in 1930 was described by Alekhine as the finest game played since the war.

Queen's Gambit Declined, Rubinstein Trap

The trap takes its name from Akiba Rubinstein, who had the misfortune of falling into it twice, in the games Max Euwe–Rubinstein, Bad Kissingen 1928, and Alexander Alekhine–Rubinstein, San Remo 1930.

Salo Flohr

During this period, he had several other notable high finishes, such as Bern 1932 (tied for second with 11½/15, after World Champion Alexander Alekhine); Zürich 1934 (tied for second with 12/15, again trailing Alekhine); and Pärnu 1937 (second behind Paul Felix Schmidt).

Siegbert Tarrasch

He finished fourth in the very strong St. Petersburg 1914 chess tournament, behind only World Champion Lasker and future World Champions José Raúl Capablanca and Alexander Alekhine, and ahead of Marshall, Ossip Bernstein, Rubinstein, Nimzowitsch, Blackburne, Janowski, and Gunsberg.

Sport in Saint Petersburg

Chess tradition was highlighted by the 1914 international tournament, in which the title "Grandmaster" was first formally conferred by Russian Tsar Nicholas II to five players: Lasker, Capablanca, Alekhine, Tarrasch and Marshall, and which the Tsar had partially funded.


see also