Max Euwe – The Logician

Max Euwe (1901–1981) was the 5th World Chess Champion. He was a Dutch hero who proved that an "amateur" with a scientific approach could reach the very top of the chess world.

In the 1935 match, Alekhine was the heavy favorite but was reportedly struggling with alcohol and overconfidence. Euwe prepared physically and theoretically, playing steady, logical chess to win 15.5–14.5.

Euwe was famous for believing that if you have a slight advantage, you must play with maximum energy to convert it, otherwise it will dissipate. He wrote extensively about the "logic" of converting advantages.

Yes, immensely. He wrote over 70 chess books. His opening preparation was decades ahead of his time, and he was an expert in the Slav and Nimzo-Indian defenses.

The "Pearl of Zandvoort." Euwe defeated Alexander Alekhine in a grueling 30-game match to become the first Dutch World Champion.

During his reign, he continued to teach mathematics at a Lyceum in Amsterdam. He famously graded papers during tournaments!

He served as FIDE President from 1970 to 1978. He is the only World Champion to also lead the governing body of chess.

As FIDE President, Euwe played a critical role in saving the Fischer-Spassky match, patiently negotiating with the volatile Bobby Fischer to get him to play.

The 26th game of the 1935 match is his most famous masterpiece, where he bravely navigated tactical complications to secure a vital win.

His books, such as "Judgment and Planning in Chess" and "The Middle Game," remain standard textbooks for strategy today.

One of the strongest tournaments ever. Euwe finished only half a point behind Capablanca and Botvinnik, proving his title was no fluke.

He helped organize and played in this legendary event in the Netherlands, which was intended to select the next challenger.

After retiring from top-level chess, he became a professor of computer science and foresaw the rise of chess engines long before Deep Blue.

His style proved that calmness and calculation could defeat the "psychological" and "chaotic" style of players like Lasker and Alekhine.

He won the Dutch Chess Championship a record 12 times and won over 100 tournaments in his career.

He was a leading expert on the Slav Defense and the Nimzo-Indian, focusing on solid, structural play.

He was known as a perfect gentleman. He graciously granted Alekhine a rematch in 1937 without hesitation.

Even past his prime, he competed in the famous 1953 Candidates, playing beautiful games against the new Soviet generation.

He systematized how to study openings, moving away from memorization toward understanding pawn structures.

Euwe played a game against a young Bobby Fischer in 1957 and won, bridging the gap between the classical and modern eras.

Though called a "logician," Euwe was a ferocious calculator. Alekhine admitted he underestimated Euwe's tactical vision.

There is a square in Amsterdam (Max Euweplein) dedicated to him, featuring a giant chess set.

Data analysis suggests that for a brief period in 1936-1937, Euwe was statistically the strongest player on the planet.

He believed chess was a tool for education and logic, influencing how chess is taught in schools today.