Play Chess Against Max Euwe
Max Euwe (1901-1981), the mathematics teacher who dethroned Alekhine, sits across the board. Set the strength, clock, color and starting position, then press Start game.
Set the game on the right. Start unlocks the board and starts the side-to-move clock.
Set up your game against Max Euwe
Max Euwe stays selected. Choose the playing strength, clock, color and starting position.
Max Euwe remains selected while you choose the settings for this game.
Max Euwe1901-1981
The first number is the starting time in minutes. The second is the increment after each completed legal move.
Your colorStart game locks these settings and begins the selected clock. Change setup unlocks them for a new game.
About Max Euwe
Max Euwe (1901-1981) was the fifth world champion and the only one to keep a day job as a mathematics teacher. In 1935 he defeated Alexander Alekhine 15.5 to 14.5, an upset few had predicted, though Alekhine took the rematch two years later. Euwe's chess was built on logic and clear planning, the same qualities he brought to dozens of instructional books that taught generations of amateurs. He closed his public career as president of FIDE from 1970 to 1978, guiding the game through the Fischer boom and into the Karpov era.
- 1901Born near Amsterdam
Machgielis Euwe was born on 20 May 1901 in Watergraafsmeer, near Amsterdam.
- 1921First Dutch title
Won the Dutch championship, the first of many national titles spread across three decades.
- 1926Doctor of mathematics
Earned his doctorate in mathematics and began a parallel career as a schoolteacher.
- 1935World champion
Defeated Alexander Alekhine 15.5 to 14.5 in the Netherlands, one of the greatest upsets in championship history.
- 1937Rematch lost
Alekhine won the return match convincingly, and Euwe's reign ended after two years.
- 1953
- 1970FIDE president
Elected president of the world chess federation, serving through the Fischer boom until 1978.
- 1981Death in Amsterdam
Died on 26 November 1981. His instructional books remain on the shelves of club players everywhere.
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Bent LarsenQuestions about playing Max Euwe
Can I play against Max Euwe for free?
Yes. You can start a game without a subscription, account or download.
Who was Max Euwe?
Max Euwe was a celebrated chess master. The portrait and lifetime on this page identify the person represented here.
Can I change Euwe's playing strength?
Yes. Choose the approximate Lichess scale from 600 to 3000 or FIDE scale from 1500 to 2600, both in 100-point steps.
Is the strength number a historical rating?
No. It is an approximate playing-strength target for this game, not a biographical rating or a rating conversion.
Can I start from a FEN or PGN?
Yes. Standard chess is the default. Open Starting position to paste a FEN or one PGN. A PGN loads its final mainline position.
What do 3+2 and 10+0 mean?
The first number is each side's starting time in minutes. The second is the increment added after each completed legal move.
Can I choose White, Black or a random color?
Yes. Choose the side you control. The starting position decides which color moves first, and Random chooses your side when you start.
Does the board work on a phone?
Yes. Tap a piece and then its destination, or drag the piece. The board and clocks adapt to narrow screens.
Can I undo moves and review the game?
Undo is unavailable during an active legend game. Review becomes available after the game ends.
Can I choose another chess legend?
Yes. Use the chess-legend hub or the links below the board to open another player page.