Imagine how awesome it would be to have your favorite high school math teacher become the World Chess Champion! The girls attending a Dutch Lyceum in 1935 had this happen when Machgielis “Max” Euwe defeated Alexander Alekhine in their World Championship Match. After winning the title, Max Euwe returned to the all girls Lyceum in Amsterdam to a school wide celebration!
For the most part, before his grand triumph over Alekhine, Max Euwe could only find time to play serious chess during school breaks. It was at a tournament during his Winter Break in 1927 that Euwe quickly defeated Siegfried Bernard van Mindeno. In the position below, Siegfried (black) has just played 16… Qxg5 which would be his final move. What was Max Euwe (white’s) game winning move which caused his opponent’s resignation?
What is white’s game winning chess move (Max Euwe vs Siegfried Bernard van Mindeno, ASC Winter 1927, Amsterdam)?
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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