Skip to main content

    Rivalry · 2 title events

    4th world champion · 1927–1935, 1937–1946

    Alexander Alekhine

    v

    5th world champion · 1935–1937

    Max Euwe

    Alexander Alekhine v Max Euwe

    28

    Alekhine wins

    38

    draws

    20

    Euwe wins

    86 recorded games, 1921–1938. Score 47–39 to Alekhine. Source: chessgames.com

    Their title matches

    YearWinnerScoreWhereFormat
    1935Max Euwe15½–14½12 citiesFirst to both 6 wins and 15 points
    1937Alexander Alekhine15½–9½9 citiesFirst to both 6 wins and 15 points

    How they compare

    AlekhineMeasureEuwe
    1892Born1901
    17Years as champion2
    4 of 5Title events won1 of 2
    28Head-to-head wins20
    21Wins with White15
    7Wins with Black5
    2860 May 1931Peak (Chessmetrics)2769 Jan 1936
    2906On today's scale2834
    +74Lead over No. 2 at peak+11

    A star marks the better figure. "On today's scale" and the lead are explained on the champions page.

    Trophy cabinets

    AlekhineHonourEuwe
    4

    1927, 1929, 1934, 1937

    		World titles1

    1935

    1

    1920

    		National12

    1921, 1924, 1926, 1929, 1933, 1938, 1939, 1942, 1947, 1948, 1950, 1952

    2

    1931, 1933

    		Olympiad board–

    Each year links to its source. World championship titles are title events won or kept. Olympiad board golds are the best score on a board. Most of these events didn't exist before the 1920s.

    Decade by decade

    1920s7 – 7 – 2
    1930s21 – 31 – 18

    Alekhine wins – draws – Euwe wins, per decade.

    Famous games between them

    Max Euwe v Alexander Alekhine, World Chess Championship 1935, game 26 (Zandvoort) · 1–0

    Tartakower called it "the Pearl of Zandvoort".

    Alexander Alekhine
    Max Euwe

    Start position

    1. 1.
    2. 2.
    3. 3.
    4. 4.
    5. 5.
    6. 6.
    7. 7.
    8. 8.
    9. 9.
    10. 10.
    11. 11.
    12. 12.
    13. 13.
    14. 14.
    15. 15.
    16. 16.
    17. 17.
    18. 18.
    19. 19.
    20. 20.
    21. 21.
    22. 22.
    23. 23.
    24. 24.
    25. 25.
    26. 26.
    27. 27.
    28. 28.
    29. 29.
    30. 30.
    31. 31.
    32. 32.
    33. 33.
    34. 34.
    35. 35.
    36. 36.
    37. 37.
    38. 38.
    39. 39.
    40. 40.
    41. 41.
    42. 42.
    43. 43.
    44. 44.
    45. 45.
    46. 46.
    47. 47.
    48. 1–0

    Arrow keys step through the moves; click any move to jump to it. Pieces by Colin M. L. Burnett (BSD licence).

    Every recorded game

    YearWhiteResultMovesEvent
    1921Euwe½–½35Budapest
    1921Alekhine1-031Exhibition game
    1921Alekhine1-012The Hague blitz
    1921Alekhine1-020The Hague
    1922Euwe½–½22Bad Pistyan
    1922Alekhine1-050London
    1926Alekhine½–½43Alekhine - Euwe Training Match
    1926Euwe0-140Alekhine - Euwe Training Match
    1926Alekhine1-035Alekhine - Euwe Training Match
    1926Euwe½–½41Alekhine - Euwe Training Match
    1926Alekhine½–½49Alekhine - Euwe Training Match
    1926Euwe½–½41Alekhine - Euwe Training Match
    1927Alekhine0-171Alekhine - Euwe Training Match
    1927Euwe1-042Alekhine - Euwe Training Match
    1927Alekhine½–½40Alekhine - Euwe Training Match

    Every game between them in the chessgames.com database (checked 2026-11-04): classical, rapid, blitz and exhibition games together, as the database records them.

    Quick answers

    Who won more games, Alexander Alekhine or Max Euwe?

    In the 86 games between them in the chessgames.com database (1921–1938), Alekhine won 28, Euwe won 20 and 38 were drawn: Alekhine leads. The count includes every recorded game, not only classical ones.

    How many world championship matches did Alekhine and Euwe play?

    2: 1935 (Euwe won, 15½–14½); 1937 (Alekhine won, 15½–9½).

    All 18 rivalries·All 18 world champions