Efim Bogoljubov vs Alexandra Kosteniuk
Two chess prodigies, compared on what is actually documented: field, era, country and record. No invented numbers.
The record, side by side
| Efim Bogoljubov | Alexandra Kosteniuk | |
| Field | Sports | Sports |
| Sub-field | Chess | Chess |
| Born | 1889 | 1984 |
| Died | 1952 | living / not documented |
| Country of birth | Russia | Russia |
| Star sign | Aries | Taurus |
Who they are
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 →
Alexandra Kosteniuk
Alexandra Kosteniuk arrived at the 2008 Women's World Chess Championship in Nalchik, Russia, as a player who had spent a decade on the edge of the title without claiming it. She had been a silver medalist in 2001 at only seventeen, a candidate multiple times, and a recognizable figure across the global chess circuit. In Nalchik she finally converted potential into the crown, defeating Hou Yifan in the final to become Women's World Chess Champion and cementing her place among the greats of the game. She was twenty-four years old and had been working toward…
Full biography of Alexandra Kosteniuk →
What they share
- Both are held here under Sports.
- Same sub-field: Chess.
- Both born in Russia.
Where they part
- 95 years separate their births (1889 and 1984).
- Their lifetimes never overlapped.
Questions people ask
- Who came first, Efim Bogoljubov or Alexandra Kosteniuk?
- Efim Bogoljubov. Efim Bogoljubov was born in 1889, Alexandra Kosteniuk in 1984.
- What field is each of them in?
- Efim Bogoljubov is filed under Sports (Chess). Alexandra Kosteniuk is filed under Sports (Chess).
- Were they contemporaries?
- No - their lifetimes do not overlap.