Efim Bogoljubov vs Boris Gelfand
Two chess prodigies, compared on what is actually documented: field, era, country and record. No invented numbers.
The record, side by side
| Efim Bogoljubov | Boris Gelfand | |
| Field | Sports | Sports |
| Sub-field | Chess | Chess |
| Born | 1889 | 1968 |
| Died | 1952 | living / not documented |
| Country of birth | Russia | Israel |
| Star sign | Aries | Gemini |
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 →
Boris Gelfand
Boris Gelfand is one of the most remarkable figures in the history of chess — a grandmaster who achieved the elite level under the Soviet system, survived the collapse of the USSR, rebuilt his career representing Israel, and at the age of forty-three competed for the World Chess Championship against Viswanathan Anand in one of the most dramatic title matches of the modern era. Born on June 24, 1968, in Minsk, in the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, he grew up in a chess culture of extraordinary depth and rigor, and carried that foundation across political…
Full biography of Boris Gelfand →
What they share
- Both are held here under Sports.
- Same sub-field: Chess.
Where they part
- Born in different countries: Russia and Israel.
- 79 years separate their births (1889 and 1968).
- Their lifetimes never overlapped.
Questions people ask
- Who came first, Efim Bogoljubov or Boris Gelfand?
- Efim Bogoljubov. Efim Bogoljubov was born in 1889, Boris Gelfand in 1968.
- What field is each of them in?
- Efim Bogoljubov is filed under Sports (Chess). Boris Gelfand is filed under Sports (Chess).
- Were they contemporaries?
- No - their lifetimes do not overlap.