Efim Bogoljubov vs Reuben Fine
Two chess prodigies, compared on what is actually documented: field, era, country and record. No invented numbers.
The record, side by side
| Efim Bogoljubov | Reuben Fine | |
| Field | Sports | Sports |
| Sub-field | Chess | Chess |
| Born | 1889 | 1914 |
| Died | 1952 | 1993 |
| Country of birth | Russia | United States |
| 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 →
Reuben Fine
In 1948, FIDE organized a round-robin tournament in The Hague and Moscow to determine who would succeed Alexander Alekhine as World Chess Champion. Five players were invited. The sixth invitation — by many accounts the most interesting one — went to Reuben Fine of New York, ranked by most contemporary observers among the top two or three players in the world. Fine declined. He was in the middle of his psychoanalytic training and felt that his professional obligations took priority over competing for the world title. He was thirty-three years old. He never played serious…
Full biography of Reuben Fine →
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 United States.
- 25 years separate their births (1889 and 1914).
Questions people ask
- Who came first, Efim Bogoljubov or Reuben Fine?
- Efim Bogoljubov. Efim Bogoljubov was born in 1889, Reuben Fine in 1914.
- What field is each of them in?
- Efim Bogoljubov is filed under Sports (Chess). Reuben Fine is filed under Sports (Chess).
- Were they contemporaries?
- Yes - their lifetimes overlap.