World Chess Championship 1927
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The World Chess Championship 1927 was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and marked the long-anticipated showdown between José Raúl Capablanca (Cuba), the reigning champion, and Alexander Alekhine (France), the challenger. After 34 games over two and a half months, Alekhine won the match and became the ★4th Official World Chess Champion★. The match drew extensive international coverage.
Alekhine, Querencio, and Capablanca, Buenos Aires 1927, Unknown author, 1927 – Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Winner: Alexander Alekhine
Born: 1892, Moscow, Russian Empire
Died: 1946, Estoril, Portugal
By 1927, Alexander Alekhine was Capablanca’s most persistent challenger, noted for extensive opening preparation. For the match he broadened his repertoire to target key Queen’s Gambit Declined structures. Alekhine later called it ‘the greatest psychological contest of my life.’ His victory was Capablanca’s first defeat in a world championship match and highlighted the value of deep preparation.
“For my victory over Capablanca, I am indebted primarily to my superiority in the field of psychology.” — Alexander Alekhine
Opponent: José Raúl Capablanca
Born: 1888, Havana, Cuba
Died: 1942, New York City, USA
José Raúl Capablanca, the 3rd Official World Champion, was known for clarity in strategy and endgame play. He took the title from Emanuel Lasker in 1921 and had not lost a match before 1927. In Buenos Aires he played without a second. Despite periods of pressure late in the match, he did not manage to equalize. In the following years he sought a rematch, but no agreement was reached.
«I have known many chess players, but only one chess genius—Capablanca.» – Emanuel Lasker
Match Overview
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Dates: September 16 – November 29, 1927
Format: First to win 6 games, with draws not counting toward the total
Time Control: 40 moves in 2.5 hours, followed by 16 moves per hour
Prize Fund: 10,000 gold pesos, guaranteed by Argentine Chess Club and government support
Main Sponsors: Argentine Chess Club, supported by national cultural institutions
Historical and Cultural Significance
The event brought widespread attention to Buenos Aires as a host city for international chess. Media coverage was extensive across Latin America and Europe. The Queen’s Gambit Declined served as the main battleground of the match, appearing in 32 of the 34 games.
World Chess Championship 1927 Games
Game 1
Game 2
Game 3
Game 4
Game 5
Game 6
Game 7
Game 8
Game 9
Game 10
Game 11
Game 12
Game 13
Game 14
Game 15
Game 16
Game 17
Game 18
Game 19
Game 20
Game 21
Game 22
Game 23
Game 24
Game 25
Game 26
Game 27
Game 28
Game 29
Game 30
Game 31
Game 32
Game 33
Game 34
World Chess Championship 1927
Alexander Alekhine, France
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World Chess Championship 1927 Sources
Quote Sources
- Alekhine: My Best Games of Chess 1908–1937 – Dover, 1985
- Capablanca: A Primer of Chess – Dover, 2002
- Emanuel Lasker: Quoted in Edward Winter: Chess Notes
General Sources
- Edward Winter: Capablanca: A Compendium – McFarland, 2015
- Isaak & Vladimir Linder: José Raúl Capablanca: A Chess Biography – McFarland, 2010
- Garry Kasparov: My Great Predecessors Part I – Everyman Chess, 2003
- Wikipedia:
- Chessgames.com: Alekhine vs. Capablanca, 1927
- Shakhmaty v SSSR (1927): Soviet chess magazine archive (translated summaries) – archive-only
- La Nación (Argentina): Contemporary match reports (1927 issues) – archive-only
- The Times (London): Coverage, September–November 1927 – archive-only
Photo Credits
Alekhine vs. Capablanca, Buenos Aires 1927
Unknown author: Photo taken in 1927, showing (left to right) Alexander Alekhine, arbiter Dr. Carlos Augusto Querencio, and José Raúl Capablanca during the World Chess Championship match in Buenos Aires. (License: Public domain) via Wikimedia Commons
Sources, image credits, and attributions for this championship are listed on this page. For general information about the World Chess Champions timeline, visit the main page.