Euwe, Max

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Max Euwe (1901-1981) was a former FIDE President (1970-1978) who was twice world champion - 1935-37 and for one day in 1947.  In July 1947, the FIDE Congress, held in The Hague, voted for Euwe to be world champion since Alekhine died. However, the Soviet delegation, which joined FIDE in 1947, was late for this vote.  They later showed up and had the title rescinded in favor of a match-tournament.  Euwe was world champion again for two hours in 1947.  He was once the former amateur heavyweight boxing champion of Europe.  In the world championship match-tournament in 1948, Euwe wore gloves while playing his games. When he was asked why, he said the feeling of gloves on his hands psychologically induced in him a fighting spirit.  He was a professor of mathematics (Ph.D. in mathematics in 1926) and mechanics.  From 1930 to 1940 he was a schoolmaster at a girls’ school.  Euwe learned chess from his mother, who once played in the Dutch Women’s Championship.   In 1921 he won the Dutch championship for the first time.  Euwe won the Dutch championship 12 times.  In 1928 he won the Amateur World Championship.  He could speak 5 languages.  Max was involved in computer research in the late 1970s and was convinced that grandmasters would not have to worry about computers beating them for another 100 years.


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