Zürich 1934 chess tournament

Zürich 1934 was an international chess tournament held in Zürich from 14 to 29 July 1934 to commemorate the 125th anniversary of Schachgesellschaft Zürich (the Zürich Chess Society). Alexander Alekhine won, followed by Max Euwe and Salo Flohr tied for second-third.[1][2] The tournament also served as the 1934 Swiss Championship, won by Hans Johner as the highest-ranking Swiss player.

The tournament field

The tournament pitted seven Swiss players against nine internationals, including six of the world's leading players.[3] The major omissions were José Raúl Capablanca (Cuba) and Samuel Reshevsky (United States). There were no Soviet players either, and they would not return to international competition until the next year.[2] This type of international tournament in which one third to one half of players were from the host country was first used at Moscow 1925, and later at Moscow 1935 and Kemeri 1937.[4]

The tournament field featured the world champion Alexander Alekhine (France), former world champion Emanuel Lasker (Germany), two-time championship challenger Efim Bogoljubov (Germany), future champion Max Euwe (Netherlands), and championship contender Salo Flohr (Czechoslovakia). Alekhine won with 13/15 points, his only loss being to Euwe who finished tied for second with Flohr at 12. Alekhine again demonstrated his superiority over his contemporaries, although his winning margin of 1 point was much narrower than at Bled 1931 (5½ points) or San Remo 1930 (3½ points).[2][3]

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.[5] 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,[6] but the Great Depression and German occupation of Czechoslovakia made it impossible for Flohr to arrange a match.[7] 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 Ståhlberg (Sweden) while Flohr drew with Bogoljubov.[2]

One month earlier Bogoljubov had lost the 1934 World Championship match, his second attempt to challenge Alekhine.[5] At Zurich he finished fourth at 11½, a half point behind Euwe and Flohr. Lasker was returning to competition for the first time since Moscow 1925—a nine-year layoff.[3] Lasker started strong, beginning the tournament with a fine win playing black against Euwe in round 1.[1][3] After 7 rounds Lasker was tied for the lead with Flohr at 5½ points.[2] 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.[1] This was the only time that Alekhine, Bogoljubov and Nimzowitsch beat Lasker. Earlier in round 5 Ståhlberg and Lasker played for the first time in their careers, with the younger Swede victorious.[8]

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.[9] 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.[10] 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.[10]

Selected games

Euwe–Lasker, Zürich 14 July 1934
abcdefgh
8
d8 black rook
e8 black knight
g8 black king
a7 black pawn
f7 black pawn
c6 black pawn
e6 black pawn
g6 black pawn
e5 white pawn
g5 black queen
a4 white pawn
c4 white bishop
e4 white knight
b3 white pawn
f3 white rook
c2 black knight
d2 black rook
f2 white pawn
g2 white pawn
e1 white rook
f1 white queen
g1 white king
8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
Lasker wins with 35...Qxe5!
Euwe–Alekhine, Zürich 18 July 1934
abcdefgh
8
c8 black knight
d8 black queen
g8 black king
c7 black rook
g7 black pawn
h7 black pawn
a6 black pawn
c6 black pawn
e6 black rook
f6 black pawn
a5 white pawn
b5 black pawn
c5 white queen
e5 white knight
b4 white pawn
d4 white pawn
e4 white rook
f2 white pawn
g2 white pawn
h2 white pawn
c1 white rook
g1 white king
8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
Euwe wins a pawn 31. Nf7!
Alekhine–Lasker, Zürich 25 July 1934
abcdefgh
8
d8 black rook
f8 black rook
g8 black knight
h8 black king
a7 black pawn
b7 black pawn
d7 black knight
h7 black pawn
b6 black queen
c6 black pawn
f6 black pawn
g6 black pawn
f5 white knight
g5 white queen
e4 white pawn
b3 white bishop
d3 white rook
a2 white pawn
b2 white pawn
f2 white pawn
g2 white pawn
h2 white pawn
c1 white rook
g1 white king
8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
Alekhine wins at once with 26. Qxg6!

In round 1 Lasker defended a Queen's Gambit Declined against Euwe. After 35. Ng3-e4 (see diagram) Euwe's knight forked Lasker's queen and rook. Lasker turned the tables by trading his queen for a rook, knight and pawn, winning with 35...Qxe5! 36. Nf6+ Qxf6 37. Rxf6 Nxf6 38. Rc1 Ne4 39. Be2 Nd4 40. Bf3 Nxf2 41. Qc4 Nd3 42. Rf1 Ne5 43. Qb4 Nexf3+ 44. gxf3 Ne2+ 45. Kh2 Nf4+ 46. Kh1 R2d4 47. Qe7 Kg7 48. Qc7 R8d5 49. Re1 Rg5 50. Qxc6 Rd8 0–1.[1][11]

Euwe was again on the white side of a Queen's Gambit Declined in round 5 against Alekhine. Euwe won a pawn and the game with 31. Nf7!. After 31...Kxf7 32. Qh5+ Ke7 33. Rxe6+ Kxe6 34. Re1+ Kd6 35. Qc5+ Kd7 36. Qf5+ Black will be mated. Instead Alekhine gave up a pawn with 31...Qe8 32. Rxe6 Qxe6 33. Nd8 Qe4 34. Nxc6 but was forced to resign on his 53rd move.[1][12]

In round 12 Alekhine defeated Lasker for the only time in yet another Queen's Gambit Declined. After 25. Nd6-f5+ Kg7-h8 (see diagram), Alekhine forced Lasker to resign at once with 26. Qxg6! as Black has no defense against the threat of Qg7# (26...hxg6 27. Rh3+ Nh6 28. Rxh6#).[1][13]

Crosstable

Zürich 1934[1][2]
Player01020304050607080910111213141516Score
1 Alexander Alekhine (France)X0½½11111111111113
2 Max Euwe (Netherlands)1X½10½1½1111½11112
3 Salo Flohr (Czechoslovakia)½½X½½½½11111111112
4 Efim Bogoljubov (Germany)½0½X1½½½1111111111½
5 Emanuel Lasker (Germany)01½0X010½111111110
6 Aron Nimzowitsch (Denmark)0½½½1X½½0011½1119
7 Ossip Bernstein (France)00½½0½X1½½½111119
8 Gideon Ståhlberg (Sweden)0½0½1½0X½1011½1½8
9 Hans Johner (Switzerland)0000½1½½X01111½½
10 Walter Henneberger (Switzerland)000001½01X001011
11 Fritz Gygli (Switzerland)000000½101X½0½½15
12 Stefano Rosselli del Turco (Italy)0000000001½X½11½
13 Henri Grob (Switzerland)0½000½00001½X0½14
14 Hans Müller (Switzerland)0000000½01½01X014
15 Oskar Naegeli (Switzerland)00000000½0½0½1X½3
16 Hermann Joss (Switzerland)0000000½½00½00½X2

Notes

See also

References

  • Forster, Richard; Rohrer, Christian (14 July 2009), The World's Oldest Chess Club:Part II (1914–1945), ChessBase.com, retrieved 17 August 2012
  • Golombek, Harry, ed. (1977), Golombek's Encyclopedia of Chess, Crown Publishing, ISBN 0-517-53146-1
  • Hooper, David; Whyld, Kenneth (1992), The Oxford Companion to Chess (2 ed.), Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-280049-3
  • Horowitz, Al (1973), The World Chess Championship; A History, Macmillan, LCCN 72-080175
  • Pachman, Ludĕk (1972) [English trans. 1975, Dover ed. 1987], Decisive Games in Chess History, Dover, ISBN 0-486-25323-6
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