28 Jul 07
Originally posted by KunsooI think he went beyond just sucking up to the Nazis. He wrote a whole series of nauseating newspaper articles on subjects such as 'The Aryan Approach to Chess'. And we all know that Bobby Fischer has become a fairly revolting anti-Semite too. Of course, none of this alters the fact that both Alekhine and Fischer were two of the greatest ever chess players.
There was another thread here where Alekhine was discussed. I'd read somewhere that while in Nazi-occupied France he wrote some articles disparaging Jewish players. Is this true? And if so was he speaking as he believed or just sucking up to the occupation?
28 Jul 07
2 edits
Originally posted by chessisvanityHe didn't love his wife. ...make that wives. He married a succesion of hideously older women who were wealthy and could take care of his financial needs while he played chess. Most of them were 70 or so, while he was a young man in his 30's and 40's.
Germany kidnapped his wife and he did what they said to make her safe.....everyone wants to believe he was a nazi......but he loved chess alcohol and his wife.....i would have done the same as him.
Pretty sick, really. Alekhine was a shameless opportunist. I don't doubt that he was an anti-semite, it would be part of his background and heritage.
28 Jul 07
Originally posted by Sam The ShamIn 1939 there was chess olympiad in Buonesaires. World War II began during that olympiad and France, England and Poland refused to play with Germany. One of the initiators of this act was Alekhine. Also he did respect Lasker who was Jew. so I dont believe that Alekhine was nazi or anti-semit.
He didn't love his wife. ...make that wives. He married a succesion of hideously older women who were wealthy and could take care of his financial needs while he played chess. Most of them were 70 or so, while he was a young man in his 30's and 40's.
Pretty sick, really. Alekhine was a shameless opportunist. I don't doubt that he was an anti-semite, it would be part of his background and heritage.
And how can you be so sure about his relationship with her wifes?
28 Jul 07
Originally posted by Korchbut he was antisemite !
In 1939 there was chess olympiad in Buonesaires. World War II began during that olympiad and France, England and Poland refused to play with Germany. One of the initiators of this act was Alekhine. Also he did respect Lasker who was Jew. so I dont believe that Alekhine was nazi or anti-semit.
And how can you be so sure about his relationship with her wifes?
BTW whats going on with Everyday ?
28 Jul 07
1 edit
Originally posted by Sam The ShamThe stories that Alekhine married women many decades older than himself have been exaggerated. His second wife was 13 years older than him, his fourth 16 years older. His first and third are described as "much older" but I can't find any details. Many men find older women more attractive than those nearer to their own age and I don't think any of his marriages were for money.
He didn't love his wife. ...make that wives. He married a succesion of hideously older women who were wealthy and could take care of his financial needs while he played chess. Most of them were 70 or so, while he was a young man in his 30's and 40's.
Pretty sick, really. Alekhine was a shameless opportunist. I don't doubt that he was an anti-semite, it would be part of his background and heritage.
28 Jul 07
Originally posted by Fat Lady"Alekhine’s savior was his third wife, Nadasha (or Natasha), whom he married
The stories that Alekhine married women many decades older than himself have been exaggerated. His second wife was 13 years older than him, his fourth 16 years older. His first and third are described as "much older" but I can't find any details. Many men find older women more attractive than those nearer to their own age and I don't think any of his marriages were for money.
in Paris, where they both lived, in 1925, shortly before the tournament that year
in Baden-Baden. Like Alekhine, Nadasha came from a wealthy Russian family
and was well educated. In addition to Russian, she spoke German, French, and
English, and knew everything about etiquette. She always acted decently and
displayed exquisite taste in matters of art.
In appearance, however, this perfect lady was perfectly ridiculous, always
conspicuously dressed and loaded down with costume jewelry. Once when the
Alekhines’ were staying in Vienna, my hometown, and my wife had taken
Nadasha out to tea a few times, I heard waiters in the cafe refer to her among
themselves as “the Christmas tree.” Adding to the strange impression she made
was her posture, which suggested an imminent family event a possibility that
her wrinkled face irrefutably denied. When at Baden-Baden the rumor spread
that Madame Alekhine had previously been widowed first by a general and then
by an admiral, Grünfeld estimated that her age must have been somewhere
between seventy and eighty. “It takes time to become a general or an admiral"
In 1925 Alekhine was 33 years old.
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28 Jul 07
I had also read that Alekhine had lost his fortune in the Soviet Revolution, and chess players didn't quite make the money they made after Bobby Fischer up the ante.
Anyway, it's hard to judge someone living under an occupation. I think he died in 1945, right? So there wouldn't have been time to apologize.
Other character defects, if you really need them, are losing the championship to Max Euwe in 1935 by showing up to the match drunk. Also dodging Capablanca's requests for a rematch after 1927, and only agreeing to play against players not at his level.
But he was a brilliant player, and apparently had one hell of a sense of humor. I've never read any accounts of him mistreating Jews in person, which would suggest that his WWII writings were under some sort of duress. Not apologizing for him, but I'm just not willing to judge someone in a situation in which I'll probably never face. Maybe I'll change my mind if I ever read any of his articles.