<Petrosianic>, <Sally Simpson>, <beatgiant>

With regard to the Harold C. Schonberg book linked- http://www.amazon.com/Grandmasters-...- there is no reference to the Bradley Beach organizers coming up with the $10,000 "London Rules" purse that Alekhine demanded of Capablanca. In fact, there is no mention of any kind to Bradley Beach. Schonberg's entire treatment of the Alekhine-Capablanca remtach negotiations are on p.190, if anyone wishes to check their copy.

I should add that Schonberg's narrative is not properly sourced- there are no footnotes. There are several claims he makes about the negotiations that are not mentioned in Edward Winter's biography of Capablanca, which gives an exhaustive treatment of the Alekhine-Capablanca negotiations. The entirety of Winter's book is properly footnoted to primary contemporaneous sources: http://www.amazon.com/Capablanca-Co...

Here is a condensed chronology of pertinent events leading up to the <Alekhine-Bogoljubov 1929> match:

A few days after Alexander Alekhine won the Capablanca - Alekhine World Championship Match (1927), both masters made a general agreement to play a rematch sometime within the next year, under the same rules as they had played the first match. Jose Raul Capablanca did not, however, issue a formal challenge at this time.<1> On February 10, 1928 Capablanca wrote FIDE president Alexander Rueb, explaining his ideas about future changes to the world chess championship. Capablanca recommended altering the playing times and reducing the number of games. He also forwarded this letter to Alekhine.<2> Alekhine interpreted this as a wish to change the conditions for their planned rematch, and wrote Capablanca that he refused to play under any new conditions.<3> Capablanca answered publicly, explaining that he had been talking about future matches, not the match with Alekhine, which "he hoped to arrange... under precisely the same conditions as those which obtained at Buenos Aires."<4> In the meantime, on August 24, 1928 Efim Bogoljubov now challenged Alekhine to a world title match.<5> Alekhine accepted in principle, provided that Bogoljubov could "give the guarantees provided for under the rules of London of 1922," which included a guaranteed $10,000 purse.<6> On October 8, 1928 Capablanca now formally challenged Alekhine to a rematch.<6> Alekhine wrote Capablanca that he would give Bogoljubov until January 15, 1929 to "arrange for and give me the guarantees provided for under the rules of London of 1922... In case my match with Mr. Bogoljubov should take place.... I would then be ready to accept your challenge, after the end of that encounter."<6> In November 1928, American organizers offered Bradley Beach, New Jersey as a venue for an Alekhine-Capablanca rematch, but there exists no evidence that they ever raised the required $10,000 purse.<7>

1 "American Chess Bulletin" (March 1928), pp.45-47. In Edward Winter, "Capablanca" p.209; "American Chess Bulletin" (July-Aug 1928), p.108. In Edward Winter, "Capablanca" pp.211-212

2 "American Chess Bulletin" (May 1928), pp.86-87. In Edward Winter, "Capablanca," pp.207-299

3 "American Chess Bulletin" (March 1928), pp.45-47. In Edward Winter, "Capablanca" p.209

4 "American Chess Bulletin" (July-Aug 1928), p.108. In Edward Winter, "Capablanca" pp.211-212

5 "American Chess Bulletin" (Sept-Oct 1928), p.133. In Edward Winter, "Capablanca" p.213

6 "American Chess Bulletin" (Dec 1928), pp. 174-175. In Edward Winter, "Capablanca" p.213

7 W. H. W., "Daily Mail" (16 Nov 1928), p.17. In Edward Winter, <Chess Note 8193> http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/...

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This is the most recent information about the Bradley Beach offer that has come to light: Edward Winter, <Chess Note 8193> http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/...

If anyone can add additional information from reliable sources, especially about the Bradley Beach offer, I would be most grateful if they might post it?

To be more precise about what I wrote above: <There are several claims (Schonberg) makes about the negotiations that are not mentioned in Edward Winter's biography of Capablanca, which gives an exhaustive treatment of the Alekhine-Capablanca negotiations.>

Page numbers are given from the Schonberg and Winter books linked in my previous posts.

Schonberg:

"In January, 1928... (Capablanca) asked the National Chess Federation of the United States to intercede in his behalf." (p.190)

<Schonberg lists no source for this claim. This claim is not mentioned in Winter's book>

============

"Alekhine promised to meet Capablanca for a match in the United States in 1929." (p.190)

<Schonberg lists no source for this claim>

<Edward Winter:

In a letter to the "American Chess Bulletin" published in the February 1928 issue (page 29) Alekhine indicated that he was prepared to play Capablanca again: 'Dr. Alekhine also confirmed the report that he had agreed to meet Capablanca during 1929 in a return match... He added "It is perfectly evident that the match in question... must be played on absolutely the same conditions as the first one- namely the rules elaborated by Capablanca himself in London, 1922.'"> (Winter, p.207)

There is no mention of the United States as a promised venue.

===============

Schonberg: "But... (Alekhine) demanded the same conditions as in the Buenos Aires match. Capablanca wanted a sixteen-game match. That gave Alekhine an excuse for dropping the negotiations." (p.190)

<Schonberg lists no source for this claim>

That Alekhine demanded the same conditions as the Buenos Aires match is confirmed by the contemporaneous primary source supplied above by Winter. The rest of Schonberg's passage, however, is inaccurate.

In fact, Capablanca never suggested to Alekhine or anyone else that he wanted to play the rematch in a 16 game format. Rather, Capablanca wrote to Alexander Rueb that in future WCC matches he would prefer this format.

<Capablanca to Rueb, in a letter he also forwarded to Alekhine:

"A limit must be put to the number of games to be played in a match, and in my opinion the limit should be sixteen games."> (Winter, p.208)

Alekhine (and apparently Schonberg) mistook this as a demand for the planned rematch with Capablanca. Capablanca then told the "American Chess Bulletin" what he actually had meant in his letter to Rueb and Alekhine:

19 y.o Fine and 18 y.o Keres as the Challengers? What a joke!

Agree the others mentioned were not quite ready.

But Salomon Flohr who the following year when he was 26/27 won Gold medal on Board One at the Warsaw Olympiad. (Alekhine got the silver.)

In 1936 there was:

Podebrady (1936)

So maybe an Alekhine - Flohr match instead of this one would have been better. More of a test for the great man instead of Bogoljubov.

I think Alekhine-Capa would have been the most interesting match in 1934.

In fact, they were the strongest chessplayers in 1934, because Lasker was too old and B, K, R & F were too young.

Anyway I think generally Keres, Reshevsky, Fine are a little inferior to AAÀ, Flohr is definitely inferior to him, but Botvinnik, Capa and AAA are approximately of the same level.

Although I am aware of Flohr's record v Alekhine I'm thinking that he would have put away some the positions that Bogoljubov squandered in this match.

I'm thinking Alekhine may have disagreed you. That is why he ducked him. :)

But it would have been a good match.

Back to my tip. Flohr.

He was incredibly active during his period. Playing in over 50 tournaments between 1928 and 1937 winning (or sharing first) on 24 occasions.

He won...

Hastings (1933/34)

..ahead of Alekhine. As the report says he was better at beating the tail enders than Alekhine.

An Alekhine - Flohr W.C. match was on the cards for 1938 but it fell apart due to sponsorship and political turmoil.

The question does remain if Alekhine was a player who could tune into him, his bogey. History has all kinds of examples of this, the current well known one being Carlsen v Nakamura.

In November 2024 Bhutan is hosting the World Championship. Ding Liren is 31, and Gukesh is 17.

In this match the players were:
Alekhine 42
Bogoljubov 44.

…apart from

Steinitz - Zukertort World Championship Match (1886)

(I don't know the answer to this one... I'll think about it.)

<QUESTION: In which WC Match was a player closest to his death?>

I think next on the list is Petrosian, who lost the crown to Spassky on his 40th birthday (ouch!), but continued as an elite player for another fifteen years before passing on.