The fact that a player is very short of time is, to my mind, as little to be considered an excuse as, for instance, the statement of the law-breaker that he was drunk at the time he committed the crime.

Alexander Alekhine

Alexander Alexandrovich Alekhine (1892-1946) was the son of aristocratic parents. He was born in Moscow, Russia, but he became a French citizen in the 1920s. He beat the great Cuban, Capablanca in a match in 1927 to become World Chess Champion. Both men are rightly regarded as two of the greatest players in the history of the game. Alekhine lost his world title in a shock defeat to the Dutch Grandmaster, Max Euwe, but won the rematch to become the first player ever to regain the world title. Alekhine died in 1946, still reigning World Chess Champion.

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