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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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Tseshkovsky, Vitaly vs Smyslov, Vassily
0-1
URS-ch44 1976 C16
Zakharov, Alexander V vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
URS-ch44 1976 A53
Balashov, Yuri S vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
URS-ch44 1976 D19
Kagan, Shimon vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Hastings7677 1976 C69
Romanishin, Oleg M vs Smyslov, Vassily
1-0
Hastings7677 1976 C71
Smyslov, Vassily vs Rashkovsky, Nukhim N
1-0
URS-ch44 1976 A26
Miles, Anthony J vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Hastings7677 1976 C44
Smyslov, Vassily vs Adorjan, Andras
1/2-1/2
Hastings7677 1976 D14
Smyslov, Vassily vs Whiteley, Andrew J
1/2-1/2
Hastings7677 1976 D45
Smyslov, Vassily vs Weinstein, Norman
1/2-1/2
Lone Pine 1976 A30
Taimanov, Mark E vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
URS-ch44 1976 A14
Damjanovic, Mato vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Hastings7677 1976 E18
Smyslov, Vassily vs Romanishin, Oleg M
1-0
URS-ch44 1976 B25
Gulko, Boris F vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
URS-ch44 1976 B14
Kupreichik, Viktor D vs Smyslov, Vassily
1-0
URS-ch44 1976 C60
Smyslov, Vassily vs Grefe, John A
1/2-1/2
Lone Pine 1976 A05
Smyslov, Vassily vs Huebner, Robert
1/2-1/2
EUCup final 1976 E65
Smyslov, Vassily vs Zwaig, Arne
1/2-1/2
Hastings7677 1976 C70
Huebner, Robert vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
EUCup final 1976 A26
Smyslov, Vassily vs Farago, Ivan
1-0
Hastings7677 1976 A18
Smyslov, Vassily vs Kaplan, Julio P
1/2-1/2
Hastings7677 1976 A37
Dorfman, Josif D vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
URS-ch44 1976 A29
Shamkovich, Leonid vs Smyslov, Vassily
0-1
Lone Pine 1976 B08
Vaganian, Rafael A vs Smyslov, Vassily
1-0
URS-ch44 1976 A50
Smyslov, Vassily vs Grigorian, Karen Ashotovich
1-0
URS-ch44 1976 B84
Vukcevich, Milan R vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Hastings7677 1976 B08
Silman, Jeremy D vs Smyslov, Vassily
0-1
Lone Pine 1976 B42
Kraidman, Yair vs Smyslov, Vassily
0-1
Hastings7677 1976 E19
Christiansen, Larry Mark vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Lone Pine 1976 A26
Dake, Arthur William vs Smyslov, Vassily
0-1
Lone Pine 1976 D94
Smyslov, Vassily vs Rumens, David E
1-0
Hastings7677 1976 A99
Tarjan, James Edward vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Hastings7677 1976 A29
Smyslov, Vassily vs Webb, Simon
1/2-1/2
Hastings7677 1976 A30
Smyslov, Vassily vs Huebner, Robert
1/2-1/2
EUCup final 1976 A34
Smyslov, Vassily vs Sveshnikov, Evgeny
1/2-1/2
URS-ch44 1976 A13
Smyslov, Vassily vs Denker, Arnold S
1/2-1/2
Lone Pine 1976 A49
Smyslov, Vassily vs Liebert, Heinz
1-0
Szolnok 1975 D91
Smyslov, Vassily vs Lukacs, Peter
1/2-1/2
Szolnok 1975 A06
Smyslov, Vassily vs Mnatsakanian, Eduard A
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1975 D46
Hernandez, Roman vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Szolnok 1975 E11
Smyslov, Vassily vs Olafsson, Fridrik
1/2-1/2
Teeside 1975 B42
Lombardy, William James vs Smyslov, Vassily
0-1
Teeside 1975 C29
Sax, Gyula vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Teeside 1975 C53
Barczay, Laszlo vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Szolnok 1975 A14
Keene, Raymond D vs Smyslov, Vassily
0-1
Teeside 1975 D76
Smyslov, Vassily vs Flesch, Janos
1/2-1/2
Szolnok 1975 E57
Pinter, Jozsef vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Szolnok 1975 C42
Smyslov, Vassily vs Stean, Michael
1/2-1/2
Teeside 1975 D73
Rajna, George vs Smyslov, Vassily
0-1
Szolnok 1975 C60
Westerinen, Heikki MJ vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Szolnok 1975 C60
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