Efim Bogoljubov vs Paul Morphy
Two chess prodigies, compared on what is actually documented: field, era, country and record. No invented numbers.
The record, side by side
| Efim Bogoljubov | Paul Morphy | |
| Field | Sports | Sports |
| Sub-field | Chess | Chess |
| Born | 1889 | 1837 |
| Died | 1952 | 1884 |
| Country of birth | Russia | United States |
| Star sign | Aries | Cancer |
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 →
Paul Morphy
In the parlors of antebellum New Orleans, a child of eight sat across from his father and an uncle and began absorbing a game that would consume and ultimately destroy him. Paul Charles Morphy had not been formally taught chess. He had watched the adults play, absorbed the rules by observation, and by the time he asked to join a game, he was already capable of beating grown men. The year was 1845. Within a decade, there would not be a stronger player alive on earth.
Full biography of Paul Morphy →
What they share
- Both are held here under Sports.
- Same sub-field: Chess.
Where they part
- Born in different countries: Russia and United States.
- 52 years separate their births (1889 and 1837).
- Their lifetimes never overlapped.
Questions people ask
- Who came first, Efim Bogoljubov or Paul Morphy?
- Paul Morphy. Efim Bogoljubov was born in 1889, Paul Morphy in 1837.
- What field is each of them in?
- Efim Bogoljubov is filed under Sports (Chess). Paul Morphy is filed under Sports (Chess).
- Were they contemporaries?
- No - their lifetimes do not overlap.