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Paul
Keres shared first place with Reuben Fine
in the memorable A.V.R.O. tournament, but after
additional calculations, Keres was announced the winner.
The tournament was played throughout ten Dutch cities
from November 6th - 27th, 1938. Most games were played
at night, with the players having to travel to the
tournament hall
and adjourned games were
resumed in Amsterdam's Krasnapolsky Hotel.
The participants included Keres, Fine,
Alexander Alekhine,
Max Euwe,
Mikhail Botvinnik,
Samuel Reshevsky,
Jose Raul Capablanca, and Salo Flohr.
The absence of former world champion Emanual Lasker
was conspicuous and not appreciated by Lasker.
Alekhine
was the current world champion leading up to this
tournament, having just recently regaining the title
from Euwe. The next contender for the title was in major
dispute at this time. To help settle the matter, a Dutch
radio company (Allgemeene Vereenigung Radio-Omroep)
organized a tournament of the strongest eight players in
the world, with the understanding that the winner would
earn the right to face Alekhine for the world title.
Keres'
victory and subsequent title shot was never honored by
Alekhine as a combination result of World War II and
Alekhine's interest in playing instead against Botvinnik.
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