László Szabó vs Vasily Smyslov
Two chess prodigies, compared on what is actually documented: field, era, country and record. No invented numbers.
The record, side by side
| László Szabó | Vasily Smyslov | |
| Field | Sports | Sports |
| Sub-field | Chess | Chess |
| Born | 1917 | 1921 |
| Died | 1998 | 2010 |
| Country of birth | Hungary | Russia |
| Star sign | Pisces | Pisces |
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 →
Vasily Smyslov
There is a quality in the chess of Vasily Smyslov that analysts have struggled for decades to name precisely. The word most often used is harmony — his pieces moved as if pulled by gravitational attraction to their correct squares, his positions unfolded with the logic of a musical composition, his endgame technique translated apparently equal positions into victories with a consistency that approached the mechanical. But harmony is an aesthetic judgment, and Smyslov's chess was something more than aesthetically pleasing. It was, in the deepest sense, correct — and correctness sustained over a career…
Full biography of Vasily Smyslov →
What they share
- Both are held here under Sports.
- Same sub-field: Chess.
- Near contemporaries - 4 years apart.
- Their lifetimes overlap.
- Both Pisces.
Where they part
- Born in different countries: Hungary and Russia.
Questions people ask
- Who came first, László Szabó or Vasily Smyslov?
- László Szabó. László Szabó was born in 1917, Vasily Smyslov in 1921.
- What field is each of them in?
- László Szabó is filed under Sports (Chess). Vasily Smyslov is filed under Sports (Chess).
- Were they contemporaries?
- Yes - their lifetimes overlap.