FIDE’s First World Amateur Championship Match

Bogoljubow

    Founded in 1924, FIDE soon started trying to organize the World Championship, but two years earlier Capablanca, the World Champion from 1921 to 1927, had set the conditions under which he was willing to play for the Championship. Those conditions were far beyond the resources of the fledgling FIDE. 

 Consequently, Alexander Rueb, FIDE’s president, then had the idea of creating a separate championship to be named the FIDE Championship. And so, in a letter sent to Max Euwe and Ewfin Bogoljubow he proposed that the winner of their match would become FIDE Champion of FIDE. 

    Their decision was based mainly on the fact that the 1928 World Amateur Championship that was held in Amsterdam had been won by Euwe. Also, at that time Bogoljubow was one of the top 3 or 4 best players in the world. 

    The match generated a lot if enthusiasm in Holland and Bogoljubow scored a narrow victory, scoring +3 -2 -5. Them after the match a wealthy sponsor finance a second short revenge match that was also won by Bogoljubow +2 -1 =7. 

    The following is game 4 of the first match is replete with imaginative and forceful play on Bogoljubow’s part. Queens were exchanged in the opening, but that didn’t cut down on the aggression shown by Bogoljubow. The tension mounted until ay the critical moment and Euwe went down the wrong path and was never able to recover 

 

[Event "Match: First FIDE Championsh"] [Site ""] [Date "1928.04.12"] [Round "4"] [White "Max Euwe"] [Black "Efim Bogoljubov"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D06"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17.1"] [PlyCount "90"] [EventDate "1928.04.04"] {D06: Queen's Gambit Declined, Marshall Defense} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 d5 {This, the Marshall Defense. While venturesome it has been out of favor for decades as black does not fare very well with it.} 3. cxd5 {The move challenging reply.} Qxd5 (3... Nxd5 {is the usual move, but after} 4. e4 {white has gained time plus space in the center.}) 4. Nc3 Qa5 5. Nf3 Nc6 {Although this move is often played it blocks the c-Pawn which can hardly be recommended. 5...c seems a better try.} 6. e3 {Not the best! 5.Bd2 was preferable as it leaves white with a substantial advantage.} (6. Bd2 Qf5 {Thanks to his 5th move the Q has no good retreta.} (6... e5 {is simply horrible because after} 7. e4 Bb4 8. d5 { white;s advantage is decisive, For example...} Ne7 9. a3 Bxc3 10. Bxc3 Qb6 11. Nxe5) 7. g4 {This surprising move is very powerful!} Qd7 (7... Nxg4 8. e4 Qg6 9. h3 {with what should amoint to a decisive advantage.}) 8. e4 Nxg4 9. h3 Nf6 10. d5 Nb8 11. Qb3 {with a strong position well worth a P.}) 6... e5 {Well played as black must continue aggressively,} 7. d5 Nb4 8. Bb5+ (8. Bd2 { defends the d-Pawn and would best be answered by 8...Bf5 when white is slightly better. But not...} Nfxd5 9. Nxd5 {winning a piece.}) 8... c6 { In this critical position Euwe goes astray. No doubt that Euwe reasoned as did one annotator that it would be bad to play 9.dxc4 because after black recaptures he could then devekop his B, as he does later, with ...Ba6. That is not correct. Capturing the P was exactly the move he should have played. He would have had an equal game in that case.} 9. Qa4 {After the exchange of Qs black will have the bettwer of it.} (9. dxc6 bxc6 10. Qa4 {Now is the time for this.} Qc7 (10... Qxa4 11. Bxa4 Ba6 {is obviously bad on account of} 12. Nxe5) 11. Be2 e4 12. Nd2 Nd3+ 13. Kf1 Nc5 14. Qc2 {with complete equality.}) 9... Qxa4 10. Bxa4 b5 {[%mdl 2048] Bogoljugow now begins playing very aggressively and he never lets up.} 11. Bb3 Nd3+ 12. Ke2 e4 13. Ng5 b4 14. Ncxe4 Ba6 { Now this move is very strong given the white's K is threatened.} 15. Kf3 (15. Bc2 {was a better defense,} Nxe4 16. Nxe4 Ne5+ 17. Ke1 {but here, too, black has a strong attack.} cxd5) 15... cxd5 {Bogoljubow is playing for an attack against Euwe's poorly placed K, but he missed an even stronger continuation.} ( 15... Nxe4 16. Nxe4 cxd5 17. Ng5 Be7 18. Nh3 {Now the N is out of play and there is an annoying potential K and N fork similar to what happens in the fame.} g5 19. Bxd5 Rd8 20. e4 Rg8 21. g4 h5 22. Bxg5 (22. Kg2 hxg4 23. Ng1 Ne1+ 24. Kg3 Bd6+ {with a winning attack.}) 22... hxg4+ 23. Kxg4 Bc8+ 24. Kf3 Bxh3 { Black has a decisive advantage.}) 16. Ba4+ {[%mdl 8192] Euwe fails to take advantage of his last chance to get out of a losing position.} (16. Nxf6+ { It's hard to see, but this move will allow him to utilize his B on b3. Watch!} gxf6 17. Nxf7 Rg8 (17... Kxf7 18. Bxd5+ Ke8 19. Bxa8 {and it's white who has the decisive advantage.}) 18. Bxd5 Rb8 19. Nd6+ Bxd6 20. Bxg8 Ne5+ 21. Kg3 { and white equalized.}) 16... Ke7 17. Nd2 h6 18. Nh3 g5 19. g4 h5 20. Nxg5 hxg4+ 21. Kg2 Bh6 22. f4 gxf3+ 23. Ndxf3 Bxg5 24. Nxg5 Ne4 25. Nxe4 dxe4 26. Rf1 Rag8+ 27. Kh1 {Blacj can ow pretty much win ant way he chooses and while here and there stronger move might have been available, it;s a moot point.} Rh3 28. Bd2 Rgh8 29. Rad1 Rxh2+ 30. Kg1 R2h7 31. Rf2 Rh1+ 32. Kg2 R1h2+ 33. Kg1 Rxf2 { Euwe could resign here, but plays on. The only reasonable explanation is that Bogoljubow was in time trouble.} 34. Bxb4+ {[%mdl 512]} Nxb4 35. Rd7+ Kf6 36. Kxf2 Nd3+ 37. Kg1 Rg8+ 38. Kh2 Bc8 39. Rxa7 Ne5 40. Bd1 Nf3+ 41. Bxf3 exf3 42. Ra4 Rg2+ 43. Kh1 Rxb2 (43... Bb7 {and it's mate in 10} 44. e4 Rg4 45. Rc4 f2 46. Rc1 Bxe4+ 47. Kh2 Rg2+ 48. Kh3 Rg1 49. Rf1 Rxf1 50. Kg3 Kg5 51. b4 f5 52. Kh3 f4 53. Kh2 Rh1#) 44. Rf4+ Ke7 45. Kg1 Rg2+ {White resigned} (45... Rg2+ 46. Kf1 Ba6+ 47. Ke1 Re2+ 48. Kf1 Rxa2+ 49. Kg1 f2+ 50. Rxf2 Rxf2 51. Kxf2 Kd6 52. Kf3 Ke5 53. e4 Bd3 54. Ke3 Bxe4) 0-1