World Championship Match Denied
In 1938 he tied with Fine for first, with 8.5/14, in the all-star AVRO tournament, held in various cities in the Netherlands, ahead of chess legends Mikhail Botvinnik, Max Euwe, Reshevsky, Alekhine, Capablanca and Flohr. AVRO was one of the strongest tournaments in history; some chess historians believe it the strongest ever staged. Keres won on tiebreak because he beat Fine 1½–½ in their individual two games.
It was expected that the winner of this tournament would be the challenger for the World Champion title, in a match against World Champion Alexander Alekhine, but the outbreak of the Second World War, especially because of the first occupation of Estonia by the Soviet Union in 1940–1941, brought negotiations with Alekhine to an end. Keres had begun his university studies in 1937, and this also played a role in the failed match.
Keres struggled at Leningrad–Moscow 1939 with a shared 12th–13th place; he wrote that he had not had enough time to prepare for this very strong event, where he faced many Soviet stars for the first time. But he recovered with more preparation time, and won Margate 1939 with 7.5/9 (+6 =3 −0), ahead of Capablanca and Flohr.
Read more about this topic: Paul Keres
Famous quotes containing the words world, match and/or denied:
“In former times and in less complex societies, children could find their way into the adult world by watching workers and perhaps giving them a hand; by lingering at the general store long enough to chat with, and overhear conversations of, adults...; by sharing and participating in the tasks of family and community that were necessary to survival. They were in, and of, the adult world while yet sensing themselves apart as children.”
—Dorothy H. Cohen (20th century)
“They who have considered our nature, affirm that shame and disgrace are two of the most insupportable evils of human life: the courage and spirits of many have master’d other misfortunes and borne themselves up against them; but the wisest and best of souls have not been a match for these.”
—Laurence Sterne (1713–1768)
“My parents wanted me to solace them for sorrows they denied having had.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)