László Szabó vs Tigran Petrosian
Two chess prodigies, compared on what is actually documented: field, era, country and record. No invented numbers.
The record, side by side
| László Szabó | Tigran Petrosian | |
| Field | Sports | Sports |
| Sub-field | Chess | Chess |
| Born | 1917 | 1929 |
| Died | 1998 | 1984 |
| Country of birth | Hungary | Russia |
| Star sign | Pisces | Taurus |
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 →
Tigran Petrosian
Among the nine World Chess Champions who preceded Bobby Fischer, none was more mysterious or more misunderstood than Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian. Called "Iron Tigran" by his contemporaries, he held the world championship from 1963 to 1969 by mastering a form of chess so different from anything that had come before that even grandmasters who studied his games found them difficult to fully understand. He did not win by attacking, by brilliant sacrifices, or by tactical fireworks. He won by ensuring, with a near-supernatural foresight, that his opponents could never do anything to him at all.
Full biography of Tigran Petrosian →
What they share
- Both are held here under Sports.
- Same sub-field: Chess.
- Their lifetimes overlap.
Where they part
- Born in different countries: Hungary and Russia.
- 12 years separate their births (1917 and 1929).
Questions people ask
- Who came first, László Szabó or Tigran Petrosian?
- László Szabó. László Szabó was born in 1917, Tigran Petrosian in 1929.
- What field is each of them in?
- László Szabó is filed under Sports (Chess). Tigran Petrosian is filed under Sports (Chess).
- Were they contemporaries?
- Yes - their lifetimes overlap.