Max Euwe

Machgielis (Max) Euwe (May 20, 1901 – November 26, 1981) was a Dutch chess player. He was the fifth player to become World Chess Champion (1935–1937).

On December 15, 1935 after 30 games played in 13 different cities over a period of 80 days, he defeated reigning world champion Alexander Alekhine, becoming the 5th World Chess Champion. His title gave a huge boost to chess in The Netherlands.

Euwe's win was a major upset, and is sometimes attributed to Alekhine's alcoholism. However Euwe's performances in the great tournaments of Nottingham 1936 and the AVRO 1938 indicate he was a worthy champion, even if he was not as dominant as his predecessors.

He lost the title to Alekhine in a rematch in 1937. After Alekhine's death in 1946, Euwe was considered by some to have a moral right to the position of world champion, but he graciously consented to participate in the five-contestant tournament to select the new world champion held in 1948. However by then Euwe was well past his best, and he finished last.

In 1957 Euwe played a short match against 14 year old future world champion Bobby Fischer, winning one game and drawing the other. His lifetime score against Fischer was +1-1=1.

From 1970 (when he was 69 years old) until 1978, he was president of FIDE, and played an important role in organising the famous Boris Spassky-Bobby Fischer match.