Efim Bogoljubov vs Max Euwe
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
| Efim Bogoljubov | Max Euwe | |
| Field | Sports | Sports |
| Sub-field | Chess | Chess |
| Born | 1889 | 1901 |
| Died | 1952 | 1981 |
| Country of birth | Russia | Netherlands |
| Star sign | Aries | Aries |
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 →
Max Euwe
In December 1935, in a match played across fifteen Dutch cities, a mild-mannered Amsterdam schoolteacher and mathematician accomplished one of the most stunning upsets in chess history. Machgielis "Max" Euwe defeated Alexander Alekhine — the dazzling, terrifying, seemingly invincible World Champion — by a score of 15.5 to 14.5, claiming the title of 5th World Chess Champion. The chess world was stunned. Alekhine was widely considered the strongest player alive; Euwe was a respected amateur — gifted, studious, but surely not in Alekhine's category. The match proved otherwise. For two years, the most powerful chess…
What they share
- Both are held here under Sports.
- Same sub-field: Chess.
- Their lifetimes overlap.
- Both Aries.
Where they part
- Born in different countries: Russia and Netherlands.
- 12 years separate their births (1889 and 1901).
Questions people ask
- Who came first, Efim Bogoljubov or Max Euwe?
- Efim Bogoljubov. Efim Bogoljubov was born in 1889, Max Euwe in 1901.
- What field is each of them in?
- Efim Bogoljubov is filed under Sports (Chess). Max Euwe is filed under Sports (Chess).
- Were they contemporaries?
- Yes - their lifetimes overlap.