ALEKHINE, ALEXANDER

born Nov. 1, 1892, Moscow died March 24, 1946, Estoril, Port. Alekhine also spelled Alekhin, or Aljechin, original name Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Alyokhin world-champion chess player from 1927 to 1935 and from 1937 until his death, noted for using a great variety of attacks. Alekhine was a precocious chess player, becoming a master at age 16 and a grand master at age 22. He was playing in a tournament in Mannheim, Ger., when World War I broke out, and he escaped from internment to serve in the Red Cross division of the Russian army. After the Russian Revolution of 1917, Alekhine became a naturalized French citizen and studied law at the University of Paris. In 1927, after a contest lasting nearly three months, he won the world championship from Jos Ral Capablanca of Cuba. Eight years later he lost the title to Max Euwe of The Netherlands, but he regained it from Euwe in 1937. Alekhine broke the world blindfold chess record in 1924, 1925, and 1933. Among his books is My Best Games of Chess 19081923 (1927).