Efim Bogoljubov vs László Szabó
Two chess prodigies, compared on what is actually documented: field, era, country and record. No invented numbers.
The record, side by side
| Efim Bogoljubov | László Szabó | |
| Field | Sports | Sports |
| Sub-field | Chess | Chess |
| Born | 1889 | 1917 |
| Died | 1952 | 1998 |
| Country of birth | Russia | Hungary |
| Star sign | Aries | Pisces |
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 →
László Szabó
In the spring of 1950, chess's governing body FIDE organized the first official World Championship Candidates Tournament in Budapest — and it was played on Hungarian soil, in front of Hungarian crowds, with a Hungarian player competing seriously for the right to challenge world champion Mikhail Botvinnik. That player was László Szabó, and while he finished fifth in a field containing the greatest players alive, his presence alone announced something unmistakable: Hungarian chess had arrived at the summit of the game, and Szabó had carried it there.
Full biography of László Szabó →
What they share
- Both are held here under Sports.
- Same sub-field: Chess.
- Their lifetimes overlap.
Where they part
- Born in different countries: Russia and Hungary.
- 28 years separate their births (1889 and 1917).
Questions people ask
- Who came first, Efim Bogoljubov or László Szabó?
- Efim Bogoljubov. Efim Bogoljubov was born in 1889, László Szabó in 1917.
- What field is each of them in?
- Efim Bogoljubov is filed under Sports (Chess). László Szabó is filed under Sports (Chess).
- Were they contemporaries?
- Yes - their lifetimes overlap.