Babe Ruth vs Efim Bogoljubov
Two child prodigies, compared on what is actually documented: field, era, country and record. No invented numbers.
The record, side by side
| Babe Ruth | Efim Bogoljubov | |
| Field | Sports | Sports |
| Sub-field | Baseball | Chess |
| Born | 1895 | 1889 |
| Died | 1948 | 1952 |
| Country of birth | United States | Russia |
| Star sign | Capricorn | Aries |
Who they are
Babe Ruth
The Sultan of Swat — 714 Career Home Runs 7× World Series champion · .342 career batting average · Baseball Hall of Fame 1936 Born February 6, 1895 · Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Efim Bogoljubov
A story — possibly apocryphal, certainly too good not to record — holds that when someone asked Efim Bogoljubov why he was so confident before a particular game, he replied: "When I have White, I win because I have White. When I have Black, I win because I am Bogoljubov." The line captures the man perfectly: large ego, enormous confidence, an infectious delight in chess, and enough genuine talent to partially justify every bit of it. Bogoljubov was not quite the best chess player of his era, but he was very nearly so, and the…
Full biography of Efim Bogoljubov →
What they share
- Both are held here under Sports.
- Near contemporaries - 6 years apart.
- Their lifetimes overlap.
Where they part
- Born in different countries: United States and Russia.
Questions people ask
- Who came first, Babe Ruth or Efim Bogoljubov?
- Efim Bogoljubov. Babe Ruth was born in 1895, Efim Bogoljubov in 1889.
- What field is each of them in?
- Babe Ruth is filed under Sports (Baseball). Efim Bogoljubov is filed under Sports (Chess).
- Were they contemporaries?
- Yes - their lifetimes overlap.