<17.Be1> has a tactical basis. On 16...c5 17.Qb5 Rfb8 18.Qxd7? Rb7! and White would have to return the piece with 19.Ng5 Bxg5 20.Qd6 cxd4 and Black has an edge. Now after 17...c5 18.Qb5 Rfb8? 19.Qxd7 Rb7 20.Nd2! wins.

Cozens: <21.Bf4!! Stahlberg is in great form. Euwe admits that he had not seen this brilliant continuation which forces a white pawn right through to the seventh. White's game looks a certain win, but this is where Euwe really begins to play.>

Cozens gives <!> to moves 24, 25 and 26, but <24...Bf6> looks like the losing move. The engines think that both 24...Rac8/d8 equalise.

Cozens: <27.Re1 Here Yudovich (and others) claimed a white win by 27.Rxa5! Bxb2 28.Rd1 Bf6 29.Rxa8 Qxa8 30.Nd4 etc., but neither Euwe nor Stahlberg agrees. After 27.Rxa5 Bxb2 28.Rd1, Euwe gives 28...Kh7! 29.Rc5 Bf6, threatening b3, while Stahlberg says that "the obvious 27.Rxa5 is insufficient" and gives 27...Bxb2 28.Re1 Qb7 29.Rxa8 Qxa8 30.Rd1 Kh7!!

27...Qb7 28.Ne5?

Stahlberg is unwise to allow his knight to be exchanged - presumably to save the b-pawn. Too late - after the clocks were stopped - he realised that he could have brought the knight into powerful play, beginning with a backward move. In Skakbladet he ruefully pointed out what he ought to have done: 28.Nd2!! and then, e.g. 28...Ra7 29.Rec1 Kf8 30.Ne4 Be7 31.Nd6 Bxd6 32.Qd8+! Rxd8 33.cxd8=Q mate. Euwe admitted that after 2.Nd2 the black game would have been untenable. Now he breathes again.>

Totally agree that the <The Lost Olympiad Stockholm 1937> is an excellent book.

I like the layout. A round by round report with a game and then a look at each team and individual performances with more games.

I think Cozens is close to Tartakower for noting up a game. Cozens gives the impression you are sitting in a pub with him whilst he shows you a game and drops in wee jokey comments.

His introduction to the L Piazzini vs Euwe, 1937 game reads:

"Piazzini had beaten Reshevsky four days before, but in the present encounter he seems to be little more than an interested spectator."

C.G. has the 1937 listing in the wrong order. This Olympiad was played just before the Alekhine - Euwe return match. One would have forgiven Euwe for not playing in it.

There does not appear much 'hiding of preparation' from Euwe (the current Karjakin fan club war cry.) or holding back. Euwe kicked off with 6 straight board one wins including one with black v Keres who was the young pretender to Euwe's crown.

Keres vs Euwe, 1937

Well worth the effort to look at, as yet it unkibitz'd (be the first!) Euwe really was a handful in the 30's and not just a blip on Alekhine's hold on the throne. (enjoy a very good game).

The playing schedule in this event sometimes asked for two games a day, compare that with the one game a day for 2-3 days then have a rest which appears to be the norm in elite tournaments.

<While Dr. Emve’s games generally lack the artistic unity of the productions of such artists as Rubinstein, the finest games of the World Champion are extremely interesting—despite their apparently disjointed quality—because of the adventurous turns} surprising strategems and subtle resources for which they are distinguishedl)>

A photograph of the game is also available.

Again - does anybody else have a copy of the issue, and be willing to get a good high-res scan done?

It looks like a very good photo.

click for larger view

A sneaky move, because White gets a pawn on c6. Maybe White missed a win somewhere ~~~

After 31... g6

click for larger view