Efim Bogolyubov facts for kids
Efim Bogolyubov (born April 14, 1889 – died June 18, 1952) was a very strong chess player. He was a Ukrainian-German grandmaster. A grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can get! He won many tournaments and even played two matches for the world championship against Alexander Alekhine. People said his main weakness was being too hopeful, but when he played his best, he was one of the top players in the world.
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Early Chess Success
After World War I, Efim Bogolyubov started winning many international chess tournaments. He won events in cities like Berlin (1919), Stockholm (1919 and 1920), Kiel (1921), and Pistyan (1922). In 1923, he shared first place at a big tournament in Karlsbad (Karlovy Vary).
In 1924, Bogolyubov went back to Russia, which was then called the Soviet Union. There, he won the USSR chess championship two times in a row, in 1924 and 1925. He also won a tournament in Breslau (Wrocław) in 1925. Later that year, he won a very important tournament in Moscow. He finished ahead of famous chess legends like Emanuel Lasker and José Raúl Capablanca.
Moving to Germany and World Championship Matches
In 1926, Efim Bogolyubov moved to Germany. That same year, he won a tournament in Berlin, beating strong players like Akiba Rubinstein. In 1928, he had another great win at Bad Kissingen. He beat top players such as Capablanca, Nimzovich, and Savielly Tartakower.
Bogolyubov also played two matches against Max Euwe in Holland. He won both of these matches in 1928 and 1928/29. He then got the chance to play for the World Chess Championship title. He played two matches against the reigning champion, Alexander Alekhine. He lost the first match in 1929 and the second in 1934.
In 1931, Bogolyubov played for Germany in the 4th Chess Olympiad in Prague. He played on the top board and won a silver medal for his individual performance. He continued to have good results in tournaments throughout the 1930s.
Later Life and Legacy
During World War II, Bogolyubov played in several chess tournaments held in areas controlled by Germany. After the war, he lived in West Germany. He continued to play and win tournaments. For example, he won in Lüneburg and Kassel in 1947. In 1949, he won in Bad Pyrmont and shared first place in Oldenburg. He also won tournaments in Augsburg and Saarbrücken in 1951.
In 1951, the World Chess Federation (FIDE) officially gave him the title of grandmaster.
A special chess opening is named after him. It is called the Bogo-Indian Defence (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+). This shows how important he was to the game of chess.
- You can learn more about him in this article: Grandmasters I have known: Yefim Dimitrievich BogolyubovPDF (60.4 KB)
Images for kids
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Bogolyubov as a young man.
See also
In Spanish: Yefim Bogoliúbov para niños
