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The Great Match in Buenos Aires: Capablanca vs. Alekhine

World Chess Championship 1927: The Day Invincibility Fell

The Inevitable Match

By 1927, everything in the chess world was clear. Capablanca and Alekhine were destined to meet — the question was not “if,” but “when.” One was considered nearly the perfect chess player, the other a man living with the goal of dethroning that perfect champion.

José Raúl Capablanca played so effortlessly that it seemed he hardly had to try. His games were clean, logical, and almost flawless. It appeared impossible to beat him.

But Alexander Alekhine thought differently. For him, this match was not just a chance — it was the purpose of his life.

The Long Road to the Title Match

After defeating Lasker in 1921, Capablanca firmly held the chess crown. Challengers came and went, yet he remained at the top. And honestly, he seemed like he could stay there forever.

An additional barrier was the 1922 London Rules, devised by Capablanca himself. According to these rules, a challenger had to pay $10,000 to earn the right to play a title match — an almost insurmountable sum at the time.

Many saw this as a convenient way to protect himself from dangerous rivals. But Alekhine did not back down. In 1927, he managed to raise the money and finally got what he had been striving for years to achieve.

Buenos Aires: Stage for a Great Drama

The match took place in Buenos Aires from September 16 to November 29, 1927. The city literally lived and breathed chess. It was not only a sporting event but also a cultural phenomenon.

There is also a symbolic moment: on November 5, 1927, right during the match, Alekhine received French citizenship. It seemed to underline that he was no longer just a contender from the past, but a representative of a new era.

The format was strict:

games played until 10 wins,
draws counted but did not contribute toward victory,
the number of games was unlimited.

In other words, the match could last indefinitely.

Clash of Styles

Their chess styles were completely different.

Capablanca represented:

calmness,
precision,
perfect technique,
minimal risk.

Alekhine represented:

pressure,
complex positions,
fighting until the last move,
constant psychological pressure.

On paper, Capablanca remained the favorite. But at the board, logic began to falter.

How the Myth Broke

At first, everything went smoothly. But gradually it became clear: Alekhine was imposing uncomfortable positions on the champion. He steered the games into areas without ready-made solutions, where every move required careful calculation.

And then the incredible happened — Capablanca began to make mistakes. Not catastrophic or blatant, but enough to lose control. Alekhine sensed this and pressed even harder.

The match dragged on, tension rose, and the psychological advantage increasingly shifted to the challenger.

A New Champion

By late November, it was clear: the Capablanca era was over.

Alexander Alekhine emerged victorious and became the fourth World Chess Champion.

Final score:

10 wins for Alekhine,
3 wins for Capablanca,
25 draws.

This defeat marked Capablanca’s first loss in a World Championship match — and the most painful one.

Why There Was No Rematch

Under the same London Rules, now Capablanca would have had to pay $10,000 to play a rematch. But fate played a cruel trick: he never managed to raise that sum.

The rematch, awaited by millions, never took place.