Alekhine Simul Leeds 1938

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Gerard Killoran
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Alekhine Simul Leeds 1938

Post by Gerard Killoran » Thu Nov 05, 2020 10:00 am

Halifax Evening Courier - Monday 12 December 1938

World's Chess Champion Visits Leeds.

Dr. Alekhine Gives Simultaneous Display. Dr. A. Alekhine, the present chess champion of the world, gave a simultaneous display at the Leeds Chess Club on Saturday against 36 boards played by leading members of the Leeds, Bradford. Halifax, Huddersfield and other Yorkshire clubs. He became champion in 1927 by beating Capablanca, lost the championship to Dr. Euwe in 1935 and regained it last year after a great struggle with Dr. Euwe. Of the 30 games played on Saturday Dr. Aiekhine won 28, lost 2, and drew 0, a magnificent performance. He made nearly every move in a few seconds and made his way from board to board round the room with amazing rapidity. The games continued without break for five hours, when the last player, Mr. L. C. A. Lewis (Sheffield) had to play Dr. Alekhine across the board. Playing white on every board the champion opened alternatively pawn to K 4 and pawn to Q 4, playing wherever possible the well-known Ruy Lopez opening or the Queen Pawn Gambit. The two players to record wins were Mr. W. Batley (Sheffield) and Dr. Cunningham (Bradford) and the draws were obtained by Messrs. A. Green (Sheffield), T. J. Black (Leeds). E. J. Povey and C. Burrows (Bradford). C. North (Wakefield) and E. Gooder (Bradford): It was noticeable that the players who adopted the Sicilian defence and the French defence had the best games. The two Halifax players taking part were Mr. J. Staincliffe and Mr. C. H. Wilson. The latter game was noteworthy through the latest defence to the Ruy Lopez opening being employed. The moves were as follows:-



There were a good number of spectators who thoroughly enjoyed the exhibition and the pleasing personality of Dr. Alekhine. The display was the last which Dr. Alekhine will give in this country before departing to the United States of America where he will probably defend his title.

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: Alekhine Simul Leeds 1938

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Thu Nov 05, 2020 10:20 am

"the pleasing personality of Dr. Alekhine."

Not what people usually say! A good report of the event.

NickFaulks
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Re: Alekhine Simul Leeds 1938

Post by NickFaulks » Thu Nov 05, 2020 10:26 am

Gerard Killoran wrote:
Thu Nov 05, 2020 10:00 am
The display was the last which Dr. Alekhine will give in this country before departing to the United States of America where he will probably defend his title.
That obviously did not happen, but who would have been the challenger?
Last edited by NickFaulks on Thu Nov 05, 2020 11:27 am, edited 1 time in total.
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David Sedgwick
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Re: Alekhine Simul Leeds 1938

Post by David Sedgwick » Thu Nov 05, 2020 10:43 am

NickFaulks wrote:
Thu Nov 05, 2020 10:26 am
Gerard Killoran wrote:
Thu Nov 05, 2020 10:00 am
The display was the last which Dr. Alekhine will give in this country before departing to the United States of America where he will probably defend his title.
That obviously did not happen, but who would have been the challenger?
That's interesting. Keres, as the AVRO winner, would have been the obvious choice. However, the reference to the USA leads me to wonder whether there were plans for a challenge by Fine, who was only placed behind Keres on tiebreak in the AVRO event.

Over to the chess historians.

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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: Alekhine Simul Leeds 1938

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Thu Nov 05, 2020 2:30 pm

Before the AVRO tournament at least (where he performed disastrously) wasn't Flohr the "officially designated" challenger?
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David McAlister
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Re: Alekhine Simul Leeds 1938

Post by David McAlister » Mon Nov 09, 2020 10:28 pm

Couple of typos: drew 6, not drew 0 and Black resigned so it should be 1-0.

Geoff Chandler
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Re: Alekhine Simul Leeds 1938

Post by Geoff Chandler » Mon Nov 09, 2020 11:19 pm

Alekhine scored +28 =6 -2.

See <Yorkshire Post>, December 12, 1938, pg. 36.

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/kibitzi ... 45&reply=1

----

(Did Alekhine not say he was under no obligation to play the winner of AVRO.)

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John Saunders
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Re: Alekhine Simul Leeds 1938

Post by John Saunders » Mon Aug 01, 2022 3:09 pm

I've been sent a score of another game played in this simul in which John Edwin Povey held Alekhine to a draw. Povey's son Phil emailed it to me.



On Steve Mann's excellent Yorkshire Chess History website there are further details of the December 1938 Leeds simul and also a biography of John Povey. I believe that he became a Bucks player in his later years and played on the same side as Roger de Coverly and me when we beat Devon in the Minor Counties Championship in June 1981 (though the SCCU Bulletin misspelt his surname as 'Tovey').
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MJMcCready
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Re: Alekhine Simul Leeds 1938

Post by MJMcCready » Mon Aug 01, 2022 3:38 pm

Where else did Alekhine give simuls that year?

David Sedgwick
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Re: Alekhine Simul Leeds 1938

Post by David Sedgwick » Mon Aug 01, 2022 3:53 pm

John Saunders wrote:
Mon Aug 01, 2022 3:09 pm
... (though the SCCU Bulletin misspelt his surname as 'Tovey').
His name is spelt correctly in the results of the Semi Final match shown alongside, in which J C Saunders also played.

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John Saunders
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Re: Alekhine Simul Leeds 1938

Post by John Saunders » Mon Aug 01, 2022 4:31 pm

David Sedgwick wrote:
Mon Aug 01, 2022 3:53 pm
John Saunders wrote:
Mon Aug 01, 2022 3:09 pm
... (though the SCCU Bulletin misspelt his surname as 'Tovey').
His name is spelt correctly in the results of the Semi Final match shown alongside, in which J C Saunders also played.
Well spotted, David, thank you.

Re the question about Alekhine's other simuls, all I can say is that I have seven of his simul games from 1938 in my database. The two games already given above plus two more from the 10 December Leeds simul, one of which has already been referred to, namely...



Steve Mann's website has a further game from the same simul...



... and two more from different simuls in England...



... and finally this one...

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Gerard Killoran
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Re: Alekhine Simul Leeds 1938

Post by Gerard Killoran » Mon Aug 01, 2022 5:03 pm

A nice Povey finish.


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John Saunders
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Re: Alekhine Simul Leeds 1938

Post by John Saunders » Mon Aug 01, 2022 6:08 pm

Thanks, Gerard. Here's another one I found a while back.

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