Entangled: World Chess Champion Alexander Alekhine, Governor General Hans Frank, and the National Socialist Regime

Abstract

Whether or not world chess champion Alexander Alekhine was a “Nazi” is a question that the international chess community has been asking for decades. Beyond a series of anti-Semitic articles, however, little was known about his actions and behaviour during the Second World War, and the available information has been pieced together in a disjointed and incomprehensible way. The following article demonstrates that existing information and new sources combine to form a coherent narrative when Alekhine’s actions and behaviour are understood as a dual strategy by which he sought to regain his nearly ideal life before the outbreak of the Second World War. Indeed, his life in safety among the upper echelon of society as a recognised world chess champion was at stake. Alekhine saw an initial way out by pursuing a world championship match against José Raúl Capablanca and emigration to South America; he followed another avenue by approaching the National Socialist regime. Starting in March 1941, he chose to pursue both paths in parallel and in public view. Shortly after Capablanca’s death in March 1942, Alekhine entered into a contractual relationship with the Institute for German Eastern Work (Institut für Deutsche Ostarbeit, IDO) in Krakow, thanks to intervention on the part of Governor General (Generalgouverneur) Hans Frank himself. Until the fall of 1943, Alekhine essentially remained a playing chess master in the service of the Greater German Chess Federation (Großdeutscher Schachbund, GSB), which in turn was a compliant tool of the National Socialist regime. By promoting anti-Semitic propaganda in line with the regime’s position, Alekhine clearly crossed the line between chess and politics time and again.