Efim Bogoljubov vs José Raúl Capablanca
Two chess prodigies, compared on what is actually documented: field, era, country and record. No invented numbers.
The record, side by side
| Efim Bogoljubov | José Raúl Capablanca | |
| Field | Sports | Sports |
| Sub-field | Chess | Chess |
| Born | 1889 | 1888 |
| Died | 1952 | 1942 |
| Country of birth | Russia | Cuba |
| Star sign | Aries | Libra |
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 →
José Raúl Capablanca
The story begins, as so many chess legends do, with a four-year-old watching his father play. In Havana, Cuba, in 1892, José Raúl Capablanca sat beside his father and watched the pieces move across the board. He had not been taught the rules. No one had explained the moves. But children observe what adults say cannot be taught, and when his father's knight moved incorrectly, young José spoke up. His father, startled, challenged the boy to a game. He lost. The child who had never formally learned chess had already mastered it.
Full biography of José Raúl Capablanca →
What they share
- Both are held here under Sports.
- Same sub-field: Chess.
- Near contemporaries - 1 years apart.
- Their lifetimes overlap.
Where they part
- Born in different countries: Russia and Cuba.
Questions people ask
- Who came first, Efim Bogoljubov or José Raúl Capablanca?
- José Raúl Capablanca. Efim Bogoljubov was born in 1889, José Raúl Capablanca in 1888.
- What field is each of them in?
- Efim Bogoljubov is filed under Sports (Chess). José Raúl Capablanca is filed under Sports (Chess).
- Were they contemporaries?
- Yes - their lifetimes overlap.