Zandvoort, 1935. In game 26 of his World Championship match with Alexander Alekhine, Max Euwe played one of the finest games of his life — a deeply calculated central break and knight tour that toppled the great champion. Nicknamed the 'Pearl of Zandvoort,' it put Euwe within reach of the title he would win.
A well-timed central break can unleash a knight to dominate a whole board. Euwe's pieces looked modest until e4 and the knight's journey through f5–d6–e4 tore Black's position open. Patience, then a precise pawn break, then a knight that goes everywhere: the model way to convert a small edge.
Game 26 of the 1935 World Championship was played in the Dutch seaside town of Zandvoort, and Euwe's beautifully precise win — a deep knight manoeuvre and central break against the reigning champion — was hailed as a 'pearl.' It became one of his most famous games.
It was the decisive turning point. The win put Euwe ahead near the end of the match, and he held on to defeat Alekhine and become the fifth World Chess Champion in 1935 — the first (and so far only) Dutch player to hold the title.
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