László Szabó 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
| László Szabó | Paul Morphy | |
| Field | Sports | Sports |
| Sub-field | Chess | Chess |
| Born | 1917 | 1837 |
| Died | 1998 | 1884 |
| Country of birth | Hungary | United States |
| Star sign | Pisces | Cancer |
Who they are
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 →
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: Hungary and United States.
- 80 years separate their births (1917 and 1837).
- Their lifetimes never overlapped.
Questions people ask
- Who came first, László Szabó or Paul Morphy?
- Paul Morphy. László Szabó was born in 1917, Paul Morphy in 1837.
- What field is each of them in?
- László Szabó is filed under Sports (Chess). Paul Morphy is filed under Sports (Chess).
- Were they contemporaries?
- No - their lifetimes do not overlap.