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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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Sunye Neto, Jaime vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Sao Paulo 1978 D94
Smyslov, Vassily vs Segal, Alexandru Sorin
1-0
Sao Paulo 1978 B04
Smyslov, Vassily vs Ivkov, Borislav
1/2-1/2
Sao Paulo 1978 E62
Quinteros, Miguel A vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Sao Paulo 1978 D78
Andersson, Ulf vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Clarin 1978 D15
Smyslov, Vassily vs Dorfman, Josif D
1/2-1/2
Sao Paulo 1978 E18
Smyslov, Vassily vs Filguth, Rubens A
1-0
Sao Paulo 1978 A17
Smyslov, Vassily vs Savon, Vladimir A
1-0
Lvov zt 1978 C91
Smyslov, Vassily vs Van Riemsdijk, Dirk D
1/2-1/2
Sao Paulo 1978 A34
Tseshkovsky, Vitaly vs Smyslov, Vassily
0-1
Lvov zt 1978 C91
Smyslov, Vassily vs Dzindzichashvili, Roman
1/2-1/2
Clarin 1978 E60
Smyslov, Vassily vs Sveshnikov, Evgeny
1/2-1/2
Lvov zt 1978 B33
Smyslov, Vassily vs Balashov, Yuri S
1/2-1/2
Lvov zt 1978 A19
Evans, Larry Melvyn vs Smyslov, Vassily
0-1
Sao Paulo 1978 A12
Garcia Palermo, Carlos vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Clarin 1978 C68
Van Riemsdijk, Herman C vs Smyslov, Vassily
0-1
Sao Paulo 1978 C91
Kochyev, Alexander vs Smyslov, Vassily
0-1
Lvov zt 1978 C84
Smyslov, Vassily vs Vaganian, Rafael A
1/2-1/2
Clarin 1978 D34
Smyslov, Vassily vs Tukmakov, Vladimir B
0-1
Lvov zt 1978 A06
Smyslov, Vassily vs Szmetan, Jorge
1-0
Clarin 1978 A43
Smyslov, Vassily vs Quinteros, Miguel A
1/2-1/2
Clarin 1978 B07
Smyslov, Vassily vs Camara, Helder
1-0
Sao Paulo 1978 E61
Keene, Raymond D vs Smyslov, Vassily
0-1
Clarin 1978 D99
Torre, Eugenio vs Smyslov, Vassily
0-1
Clarin 1978 A28
Dorfman, Josif D vs Smyslov, Vassily
1-0
Lvov zt 1978 D91
Smyslov, Vassily vs Vaganian, Rafael A
1/2-1/2
October Revolution 60 1977 C06
Smyslov, Vassily vs Radulov, Ivan
1-0
October Revolution 60 1977 B85
Gheorghiu, Florin vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
October Revolution 60 1977 C42
Kochyev, Alexander vs Smyslov, Vassily
1-0
URS-ch45 1977 B10
Mariotti, Sergio vs Smyslov, Vassily
0-1
October Revolution 60 1977 C50
Smyslov, Vassily vs Kuzmin, Gennadi P
1/2-1/2
URS-ch45 1977 B33
Smyslov, Vassily vs Alburt, Lev O
1/2-1/2
URS-ch45 1977 B02
Smyslov, Vassily vs Balashov, Yuri S
1/2-1/2
URS-ch45 1977 E61
Smyslov, Vassily vs Ribli, Zoltan
1/2-1/2
October Revolution 60 1977 A14
Gulko, Boris F vs Smyslov, Vassily
1-0
URS-ch45 1977 A25
Bagirov, Vladimir vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
URS-ch45 1977 E15
Smyslov, Vassily vs Vogt, Lothar
1-0
October Revolution 60 1977 B81
Taimanov, Mark E vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
October Revolution 60 1977 D28
Smyslov, Vassily vs Kochyev, Alexander
1/2-1/2
October Revolution 60 1977 D97
Romanishin, Oleg M vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
URS-ch45 1977 C43
Smyslov, Vassily vs Romanishin, Oleg M
1/2-1/2
October Revolution 60 1977 E15
Knezevic, Milorad vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
October Revolution 60 1977 D95
Kuzmin, Gennadi P vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
October Revolution 60 1977 E19
Smyslov, Vassily vs Tukmakov, Vladimir B
1-0
URS-ch45 1977 B92
Grigorian, Karen Ashotovich vs Smyslov, Vassily
1-0
URS-ch45 1977 E38
Smyslov, Vassily vs Sveshnikov, Evgeny
1/2-1/2
URS-ch45 1977 B33
Smyslov, Vassily vs Dorfman, Josif D
0-1
URS-ch45 1977 C99
Smyslov, Vassily vs Garcia Gonzales, Guillermo
1-0
October Revolution 60 1977 B82
Smejkal, Jan vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
October Revolution 60 1977 A28
Balashov, Yuri S vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
October Revolution 60 1977 C67
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