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  3. /Smyslov, Vasily

Smyslov, Vasily

World Champion

classical era

Vasily Smyslov was a Soviet grandmaster who became the seventh World Champion in 1957 by defeating Botvinnik, though he lost the title in their 1958 rematch. Celebrated for his intuitive positional style and machine-like endgame precision, he competed at the highest level for over four decades and holds the all-time record of 17 Chess Olympiad medals. Outside of chess, he was an accomplished baritone singer who once auditioned for the Bolshoi Theatre.

Total Games

2627

Wins

906

Draws

1411

Losses

310

34.5% wins53.7% draws11.8% losses

Most Played Openings

D94 - Grünfeld Defense: Flohr Defense52E61 - King's Indian Defense42E11 - Bogo-Indian Defense39A30 - English Opening: Wing Gambit36C42 - Petrov's Defense32A48 - London System29C92 - Ruy Lopez: Closed28A29 - English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Fianchetto Line28B08 - Pirc Defense: Classical Variation27D13 - Slav Defense: Exchange Variation26

Most Faced Opponents

Botvinnik, Mikhail94 gamesGeller, Efim P52 gamesGligoric, Svetozar41 gamesKeres, Paul40 gamesPortisch, Lajos31 gamesBronstein, David I30 gamesPetrosian, Tigran V30 gamesBoleslavsky, Isaak28 gamesTaimanov, Mark E27 gamesReshevsky, Samuel Herman27 games

Featured Games

FCGFCG
0-1

Portisch, Lajos vs Smyslov, Vassily

Amsterdam Interzonal

1964

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FCGFCG
1-0

Morozevich, Alexander vs Smyslov, Vassily

FIDE-Wch k.o.

1997

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FCGFCG
1-0

Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Smyslov, Vassily

World Championship 22th

1958

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FCGFCG
1-0

Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Smyslov, Vassily

World Championship 21th

1957

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FCGFCG
0-1

Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Smyslov, Vassily

World Championship 20th

1954

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FCGFCG
1-0

Smyslov, Vassily vs Botvinnik, Mikhail

World Championship 21th

1957

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FCGFCG
1-0

Smyslov, Vassily vs Botvinnik, Mikhail

World Championship 22th

1958

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FCGFCG
0-1

Smyslov, Vassily vs Botvinnik, Mikhail

World Championship 20th

1954

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FCGFCG
0-1

Tal, Mihail vs Smyslov, Vassily

Biel Interzonal

1976

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FCGFCG
1-0

Smyslov, Vassily vs Weigel, Herbert

Wch Seniors

1991

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Games (2627)

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Smyslov, Vassily vs Stein, Bernd
1/2-1/2
Copenhagen op 1986 A47
Cserna, Laszlo vs Smyslov, Vassily
1-0
Copenhagen op 1986 D30
Miles, Anthony J vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Portoroz/Ljubljana 1985 C99
Smyslov, Vassily vs Olafsson, Helgi
1-0
Copenhagen 1985 A33
Smyslov, Vassily vs Plaskett, Jim
1/2-1/2
Copenhagen 1985 A50
Smyslov, Vassily vs Chernin, Alexander
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1985 D12
Cigan, Stefan vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Portoroz/Ljubljana 1985 C50
Hjartarson, Johann vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Copenhagen 1985 C88
Smyslov, Vassily vs Mortensen, Erling
0-1
Copenhagen 1985 A49
Smyslov, Vassily vs Kortschnoj, Viktor
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1985 D02
Ribli, Zoltan vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Portoroz/Ljubljana 1985 D03
Smyslov, Vassily vs Nogueiras, Jesus
0-1
Candidats Tournament 1985 D30
Spraggett, Kevin vs Smyslov, Vassily
0-1
Candidats Tournament 1985 E11
Smyslov, Vassily vs Karlsson, Lars
1-0
Copenhagen 1985 E14
Ribli, Zoltan vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1985 D13
Parma, Bruno vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Portoroz/Ljubljana 1985 C76
Smyslov, Vassily vs Nikolic, Predrag
1/2-1/2
Portoroz/Ljubljana 1985 A11
Smyslov, Vassily vs Pinter, Jozsef
1/2-1/2
Copenhagen 1985 D35
Sokolov, Andrei vs Smyslov, Vassily
1-0
Candidats Tournament 1985 C76
Smyslov, Vassily vs Karlsson, Lars
1/2-1/2
Portoroz/Ljubljana 1985 A48
Smyslov, Vassily vs Gligoric, Svetozar
1/2-1/2
Portoroz/Ljubljana 1985 C92
Popovic, Petar vs Smyslov, Vassily
1-0
Portoroz/Ljubljana 1985 C99
Smyslov, Vassily vs Hansen, Curt
1/2-1/2
Copenhagen 1985 E01
Christiansen, Larry Mark vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Portoroz/Ljubljana 1985 D19
Smyslov, Vassily vs Seirawan, Yasser
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1985 E14
Smyslov, Vassily vs Barle, Janez
0-1
Portoroz/Ljubljana 1985 D30
Hoi, Carsten vs Smyslov, Vassily
0-1
Copenhagen 1985 D01
De Firmian, Nick E vs Smyslov, Vassily
1-0
Copenhagen 1985 C70
Kristiansen, Jens vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Copenhagen 1985 C84
Vaganian, Rafael A vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1985 D52
Smyslov, Vassily vs Wittmann, Walter
1-0
Graz 1984 D02
Wirthensohn, Heinz vs Smyslov, Vassily
0-1
Graz 1984 A26
Smyslov, Vassily vs Ivanovic, Bozidar
1/2-1/2
Bugojno 1984 A64
Pils, Walter vs Smyslov, Vassily
0-1
Graz 1984 A46
Smyslov, Vassily vs Unzicker, Wolfgang
1-0
Graz 1984 D18
Smyslov, Vassily vs Gligoric, Svetozar
1/2-1/2
Bugojno 1984 C92
Smyslov, Vassily vs Nogueiras, Jesus
1-0
Graz 1984 E05
Herzog, Adolf vs Smyslov, Vassily
0-1
Graz 1984 D02
Tatai, Stefano vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Graz 1984 C42
Smyslov, Vassily vs Andersson, Ulf
1/2-1/2
Bugojno 1984 E11
Smyslov, Vassily vs Matanovic, Aleksandar
1/2-1/2
Graz 1984 E18
Smyslov, Vassily vs Torre, Eugenio
0-1
Bugojno 1984 D49
Bellon Lopez, Juan Manuel vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Graz 1984 A21
Smyslov, Vassily vs Flear, Glenn C
1/2-1/2
Graz 1984 D14
Smyslov, Vassily vs Klinger, Josef
1/2-1/2
Graz 1984 D30
Kovacevic, Vlatko vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Bugojno 1984 A47
Ribli, Zoltan vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Bugojno 1984 D02
Smyslov, Vassily vs Sax, Gyula
1/2-1/2
Graz 1984 A49
Smyslov, Vassily vs Miles, Anthony J
1/2-1/2
Bugojno 1984 A28
Ribli, Zoltan vs Smyslov, Vassily
1-0
Candidats sf2 1983 E11
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