The Pearl of Zandvoort

Max Euwe's win over the reigning champion Alexander Alekhine in game 26 of their 1935 World Championship match, played at Zandvoort, earned the nickname the Pearl of Zandvoort from fellow grandmaster Savielly Tartakower. Rather than nurse his existing lead with safe play, Euwe chose an aggressive continuation and sacrificed material for a mating attack, which is part of why the game is remembered as one of his finest creative efforts rather than just a good result.

The win stretched Euwe's lead to a margin Alekhine could not realistically close with only four games left, effectively deciding the match and the title in Euwe's favour even though the formal contest continued for several more games before finishing 15.5 to 14.5.

A popular explanation for Alekhine's loss of the title blames heavy drinking, but this is actively disputed by historians. Euwe himself later said he did not think Alekhine was drinking any more than usual during the match, and attributed his unsteady appearance to poor eyesight rather than alcohol, since Alekhine disliked wearing glasses. Several later champions who reviewed the match concluded Euwe won on merit, so the drinking story should be treated as a popular but contested claim rather than an explanation for this specific result.