Frequent readers of this blog know that Grandmaster Max Euwe is one of my favorite chess heroes. In 1935, chess prognosticators didn’t give Machgielis “Max” Euwe of the Netherlands much of a chance in his title match against World Champion Alexander Alekhine in part because Dr. Euwe wasn’t a professional chess player but rather a full time Math teacher at a girls’ Lyceum in Amsterdam. So it is one of the greatest chess underdog stories of all time that a humble high school math teacher who played most of his serious chess on school vacations was somehow able to outplay GM Alexander Alekhine 15 1/2 to 14 1/2 to become the fifth official World Chess Champion.
Max Euwe celebrating with his students after winning the 1935 World Championship Match against Alexander Alekhine.
GM Max Euwe had a 4-0 record against fellow Dutchman Johan Herman Löhr. Grandmaster Euwe’s third career victory over J H Löhr in 1923 concluded with a pretty mate-in-3 that is definitely a puzzle worthy position.
White to move and mate in 3 (GM Max Euwe vs J.H. Lohr, Amsterdam 1923).
Chris Torres is a nationally renowned scholastic chess coach working in the San Francisco Bay Area. His classes have attracted players of strengths ranging from rank beginners to world champions. A chess professional since 1998, Chris is widely recognized as one of the main driving forces behind the explosion in popularity and sudden rise in quality of scholastic chess in California. Chris Torres served as the President of the Torres Chess and Music Academy from 2005-2020 and currently is recognized as a correspondence chess master with the United States Chess Federation. Since 1998 Chris Torres has taught 6 individual national champions as well as led multiple school teams to win national championship titles. In addition, Chris Torres has directed and taught at 10 different schools which have been California State Champions at chess. In 2011 and 2012, several former and current students of Chris Torres have been selected to represent the United States at the World Youth Chess Championships. Mr. Torres’ hobbies include playing classical guitar and getting his students to appear on the national top 100 chess rating lists.
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