▁with ▁Fine ▁for ▁first , ▁with ▁ 8 ½ / 1 4 , ▁in ▁the ▁all - star ▁AV RO ▁tournament , ▁held ▁in ▁various ▁cities ▁in ▁the ▁Netherlands , ▁ahead ▁of ▁ch ess ▁leg ends ▁Mik h ail ▁Bot v inn ik , ▁Max ▁Eu we , ▁Res he v sky , ▁Ale kh ine , ▁Cap ab lan ca ▁and ▁Flo hr . ▁AV RO ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁strong est ▁tournament s ▁in ▁history ; ▁some ▁ch ess ▁histor ians ▁believe ▁it ▁the ▁strong est ▁ever ▁st aged . ▁K eres ▁won ▁on ▁tie break ▁because ▁he ▁beat ▁Fine ▁ 1 ½ – ½ ▁in ▁their ▁individual ▁two ▁games . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁expected ▁that ▁the ▁winner ▁of ▁this ▁tournament ▁would ▁be ▁the ▁ch allen ger ▁for ▁the ▁World ▁Champion ▁title , ▁in ▁a ▁match ▁against ▁World ▁Champion ▁Alexander ▁Ale kh ine , ▁but ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War , ▁especially ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁occupation ▁of ▁Est onia ▁by ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 0 – 4 1 , ▁brought ▁negoti ations ▁with ▁Ale kh ine ▁to ▁an ▁end . ▁K eres ▁had ▁begun ▁his ▁university ▁studies ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 7 , ▁and ▁this ▁also ▁played ▁a ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁failed ▁match . ▁ ▁K eres ▁strugg led ▁at ▁L ening rad – M osc ow ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁with ▁a ▁shared ▁ 1 2 – 1 3 th ▁place ; ▁he ▁wrote ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁not ▁had ▁enough