This match, organised by the CÉ Brussels, pitted two of Belgium’s strongest players against each other. Devos was in his most active years just after the second World War. He had won the previous Belgian championship as well as the championship of the Belgian chess federation and he had gotten valuable international experience in Hastings and London. Soultanbeieff had less recent international experience, but he had been one of the country’s best players for well over two decades. In the previous year’s Belgian chess federation championship, he had finished just half a point behind Devos.

It was a tense and hard-fought match. After an early defeat, Devos struck back at the end of the match and took victory with the smallest margin. [1] has all the games.

Wanted

• Some moves from the third game.

Sources

1. La Nation Belge 03, 03 12, 13 & 26/03/1946