Alexander Alekhine vs Chien-Shiung Wu
Two child prodigies, compared on what is actually documented: field, era, country and record. No invented numbers.
The record, side by side
| Alexander Alekhine | Chien-Shiung Wu | |
| Field | Sports | Science |
| Sub-field | Chess | Physics |
| Born | 1892 | 1912 |
| Died | 1946 | 1997 |
| Country of birth | France | China |
| Star sign | Scorpio | Gemini |
Who they are
Alexander Alekhine
When Alexander Alekhine arrived in Buenos Aires in September 1927 to challenge José Raúl Capablanca for the World Championship, the chess world expected a formality. Capablanca had not lost a competitive game in eight years. Grandmasters whispered that chess had reached its apex in the Cuban — that the game, played perfectly, would always draw, and that Capablanca was the player who played perfectly. Alekhine, a Russian émigré living in France, was a fine attacking player, perhaps the best combinational talent of his generation, but attacking chess against someone who never made errors was considered…
Full biography of Alexander Alekhine →
Chien-Shiung Wu
Wu Experiment 1956 — Proved parity violation, overturned a law of physics The First Lady of Physics · Columbia University · Wolf Prize 1978 Born May 31, 1912 · Liuhe, China · Died February 16, 1997
Full biography of Chien-Shiung Wu →
What they share
- Their lifetimes overlap.
Where they part
- Different fields: Sports for Alexander Alekhine, Science for Chien-Shiung Wu.
- Born in different countries: France and China.
- 20 years separate their births (1892 and 1912).
Questions people ask
- Who came first, Alexander Alekhine or Chien-Shiung Wu?
- Alexander Alekhine. Alexander Alekhine was born in 1892, Chien-Shiung Wu in 1912.
- What field is each of them in?
- Alexander Alekhine is filed under Sports (Chess). Chien-Shiung Wu is filed under Science (Physics).
- Were they contemporaries?
- Yes - their lifetimes overlap.