Oleksandr Alyokhin

Alexander Alekhine: The Attacking Genius Who Searched for Beauty in the Darkness

Alexander Alexandrovich Alekhine (1892–1946) was not just the fourth world champion. He was a symbol of an era, a chess player who elevated the game to the level of a high art and lived a life as dramatic as it was brilliant.

The Golden Boy, Broken by History

Born in luxury, in an intelligent noble family of Moscow, young Alexander received the best education and a degree of Doctor of Law. But his real crown was always the chessboard. Already at the age of 12 he mastered an amazing skill - playing blindfolded, which was the first hint of his phenomenal memory and ability to deep concentration.

This carefree path ended in 1917. The revolution that engulfed the empire turned the noble title into a mortal danger. To survive, Alekhine became a "man of the system": he worked in the criminal investigation department of the MUR, then as a translator in the Comintern. Even under threat, he managed to become the first champion of the RSFSR (1920), but his soul yearned for freedom.

When Chess Becomes Art

In the world of chess, Alekhine was a artist-combinator. His style was an uncompromising, fiery attack, backed by a steely calculation of dozens of moves ahead. He didn't just move pieces; he created symphonies on the board, where every sacrifice led to a brilliant finale.

His credo was simple, like all great things: "Combination is the soul of chess. I don't play chess - I fight in chess."

Even his opening ideas were imbued with the spirit of struggle: Alyokhin's Defense (1. e4 Nf6) calls on his opponent to immediately escalate.

A man from the front and a blind record

His inner strength was not only tempered behind the board. During the First World War, he volunteered to go to the front, serving in the Red Cross. He personally carried the wounded, received two concussions and, even while in hospitals, kept up the soldiers' spirits by giving blind play sessions. This proves that his genius was not only dedicated to his own glory.

The Victory That Changed the World

The key moment came in 1927. Having been able to leave the USSR thanks to marriage and work (and later, having taken French citizenship), Alekhine devoted himself to a single goal: to defeat the "invincible" Jose Raúl Capablanca. The Cuban was undefeated for eight years.

The match in Buenos Aires was an epic struggle. The odds were against Alekhine. But he proved that chess is not about statistics, but about will: he won with a score of 6:3. This victory was not only a sporting triumph, but also a personal victory of a man who had found freedom and conquered the world.

Kit Chess and the Unbeatable Final

A love of cats accompanied Alekhine throughout his life, and his Siamese pet named Chess became his symbol. The cat often traveled with the champion, as if sharing his path.

Alekhin did not give up his crown. After a short break in 1935, he brilliantly regained the title in a rematch against Max Euwe.

His life was tragically cut short in 1946 in Estoril, Portugal, where he was preparing to defend his title. He was found dead in a hotel room, behind a chessboard.

Alexander Alekhine is the only world champion to die undefeated. His finale is a powerful chord: a chess player who fought to the end, leaving behind a legacy that still inspires millions to seek beauty and struggle on 64 squares.

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