1929 World Chess Championship
Alexander Alekhine (France) vs. Efim Bogoljubow (Germany)
Wiesbaden / Heidelberg / Berlin / The Hague / Amsterdam; Germany and The Netherlands
Germany and The Netherlands
September 6 - November 12, 1929

Conditions:  Best of 30 Games AND 6 wins.  
Alekhine retains title in the event of a 15-15 tie.



Germany/Netherlands,_1929 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Score
Alekhine 1 ½ ½ 0 1 0 1 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 0 0 ½ 1 1 0 1 ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 15½
Bogolubov 0 ½ ½ 1 0 1 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 1 1 ½ 0 0 1 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ ½
Result:  Alexander Alekhine retains the World Championship.

See the Games of the Match!

  • In late 1927, FIDE, the World Chess Federation, circulated among its members a letter stating that the conditions under which the world championship was decided "need very considerable modification for the benefit of chess generally." At the time however, they could do nothing to gain control of the process, as long as the title was in the hands of a man encouraged by tradition to regard it as his personal property. Nevertheless, there was widespread dissatisfaction with the process, stemming from Lasker's perceived unwillingness to face the strongest opposition, coupled with the 6 years it took for Capablanca to play his 1927 title defense. Despite the London Rules, which Capablanca used, it took that long for anyone to raise the necessary money. Things were going to get worse before they got better.

  • Ignoring an offer from Bradley Beach, New Jersey to host the Capablanca-Alekhine return match, Alekhine accepted a challenge from the Russian-born German grandmaster, Efim Bogolubov (aka Bogolyubov, Bogoljubow).

  • Bogolubov was one of those semi-sound attacking players of the type who score some impressive tournament victories, but who invariably come out very badly against their fellow elite. Despite Bogo's victories at Moscow 1925, and Bad Kissingen 1928, the chess world gave him little chance of success. Alekhine seemed to have felt the same way. His opening play in this match was very experimental and the games are generally below his standards of the time. Despite this, he managed to rack up a record 11 wins in this match, the most ever seen in championship play.

  • Bogo is most famous for the the epigram "When I have White, I win because I have the first move. When I have Black, I win because I am Bogolubov." Given the results of this and the 1934 championship matches, one is tempted to add to that, "And when I lose, it's because I'm playing Alekhine."

  • Match Breakdown
     #    White - Black          Locale      Date        ECO  Result
     1    Alekhine - Bogoljubow  Wiesbaden   09-06-1929  D16  1-0
     2    Bogoljubow - Alekhine  Wiesbaden   09-07-1929  E23  ½-½
     3    Alekhine - Bogoljubow  Wiesbaden   09-09-1929  D17  ½-½
     4    Bogoljubow - Alekhine  Wiesbaden   09-11-1929  E38  1-0
     5    Alekhine - Bogoljubow  Wiesbaden   09-13-1929  D17  1-0
     6    Bogoljubow - Alekhine  Wiesbaden   09-15-1929  E22  1-0
     7    Alekhine - Bogoljubow  Wiesbaden   09-17-1929  D78  1-0
     8    Bogoljubow - Alekhine  Wiesbaden   09-19-1929  A50  0-1
     9    Alekhine - Bogoljubow  Heidelberg  10-03-1929  D52  ½-½
    10    Bogoljubow - Alekhine  Heidelberg  10-05-1929  D52  0-1
    11    Alekhine - Bogoljubow  Heidelberg  10-07-1929  D51  ½-½
    12    Bogoljubow - Alekhine  Berlin      10-11-1929  D52  0-1
    13    Alekhine - Bogoljubow  Berlin      10-13-1929  D52  0-1
    14    Bogoljubow - Alekhine  Berlin      10-15-1929  D30  1-0
    15    Alekhine - Bogoljubow  Berlin      10-17-1929  E60  ½-½
    16    Bogoljubow - Alekhine  Berlin      10-19-1929  D30  0-1
    17    Alekhine - Bogoljubow  Berlin      10-21-1929  D70  1-0
    18    Bogoljubow - Alekhine  The Hague   10-26-1929  C11  1-0
    19    Alekhine - Bogoljubow  The Hague   10-27-1929  D51  1-0
    20    Bogoljubow - Alekhine  The Hague   10-30-1929  C79  ½-½
    21    Alekhine - Bogoljubow  The Hague   11-01-1929  E22  1-0
    22    Bogoljubow - Alekhine  Amsterdam   11-03-1929  C76  0-1
    23    Alekhine - Bogoljubow  Amsterdam   11-05-1929  D30  ½-½
    24    Bogoljubow - Alekhine  Wiesbaden   11-10-1929  C11  ½-½
    25    Alekhine - Bogoljubow  Wiesbaden   11-11-1929  D30  ½-½
    


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