Slow Motion

Chess matches last so long that they acquire an individual character, an atmosphere, like that of a long book or a ponderous piece of music. When Dr. Alexander Alekhine and E. D. Bogoljubow began to play for the championship of the world last September in Wiesbaden it was soon evident that their match was unusual. It was no timid conflict between rivals mutually afraid of each other. It was a sort of scherzo in slow motion. They explored obscure, experimental lines of play. Instead of brooding for hours in the approved fashion of chess masters, they became at times noticeably excited. At Heidelberg, Berlin, The Hague, Rotterdam, Amsterdam chess followers saw the astounding spectacle of a challenger carrying a match to the world's champion. Once Bogoljubow, in defiance of all tradition, passed up a sure draw to gamble on a doubtful win. Last week, back in Wiesbaden, he startled onlookers by leaving his knight unprotected after an exchange of queens. Dr. Alekhine declined this Grecian gift. He only needed to draw to complete the 15 1/2 points that would decide the championship and he got what he wanted with the rook and pawn ending. He had won 11 games, lost 5, drawn 9. Immediately Senor Jose Capablanca* mailed Dr. Alekhine a challenge for a match to be played in Manhattan or in Bradley Beach, N. J.

*Whom Alekhine defeated two years ago.