David Bronstein vs Viktor Korchnoi
Two chess prodigies, compared on what is actually documented: field, era, country and record. No invented numbers.
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The record, side by side
| David Bronstein | Viktor Korchnoi | |
| Field | Sports | Sports |
| Sub-field | Chess | Chess |
| Born | 1924 | 1931 |
| Died | 2006 | 2016 |
| Country of birth | Russia | Russia |
| Star sign | Aquarius | Pisces |
Who they are
David Bronstein
In the history of chess, no one has come closer to becoming World Champion without succeeding than David Bronstein in 1951. The match against Mikhail Botvinnik ended 12-12 — a tie that, under the rules of the time, meant the champion retained his title. Bronstein led at various points. He had winning positions in the final games. The half-point that separated him from the crown was as much a function of the match's impossible pressure as of any difference in playing strength. Those who were there — and those who have analyzed the games ever…
Full biography of David Bronstein →
Viktor Korchnoi
There are players who fight for the World Championship, and there are fighters who make the World Championship tremble. Viktor Korchnoi was the second kind — a man of such consuming competitive fury that he challenged for the chess crown twice in the late 1970s under conditions that would have broken most players: stripped of Soviet support, separated from his family held hostage in the USSR, playing across the board from the Soviet machine's handpicked champion. He was known as "Viktor the Terrible," a nickname that captured something true about his nature: the ferocity, the…
Full biography of Viktor Korchnoi →
What they share
- Both are held here under Sports.
- Same sub-field: Chess.
- Both born in Russia.
- Near contemporaries - 7 years apart.
- Their lifetimes overlap.
Questions people ask
- Who came first, David Bronstein or Viktor Korchnoi?
- David Bronstein. David Bronstein was born in 1924, Viktor Korchnoi in 1931.
- What field is each of them in?
- David Bronstein is filed under Sports (Chess). Viktor Korchnoi is filed under Sports (Chess).
- Were they contemporaries?
- Yes - their lifetimes overlap.