Forever Chess GamesForever Chess Games Logo
CreateGiftsProductsGamesPlayersOpeningsTop 100FAQ

Explore

  • Players
  • Openings
  • Famous Games
  • Top 100 Games
  • World Championships

Create

  • Create Visualisation
  • How It Works
  • Gift Ideas

Eras

  • 1880s – Classical
  • 1960s – Fischer Era
  • 1990s – Kasparov Era
  • 2020s – Modern

Info

  • FAQ
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use

© 2026 Forever Chess Games. All Rights Reserved

  1. Home
  2. /Players
  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

View Print
FCGFCG
1-0

Morozevich, Alexander vs Smyslov, Vassily

FIDE-Wch k.o.

1997

View Print
FCGFCG
1-0

Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Smyslov, Vassily

World Championship 22th

1958

View Print
FCGFCG
1-0

Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Smyslov, Vassily

World Championship 21th

1957

View Print
FCGFCG
0-1

Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Smyslov, Vassily

World Championship 20th

1954

View Print
FCGFCG
1-0

Smyslov, Vassily vs Botvinnik, Mikhail

World Championship 21th

1957

View Print
FCGFCG
1-0

Smyslov, Vassily vs Botvinnik, Mikhail

World Championship 22th

1958

View Print
FCGFCG
0-1

Smyslov, Vassily vs Botvinnik, Mikhail

World Championship 20th

1954

View Print
FCGFCG
0-1

Tal, Mihail vs Smyslov, Vassily

Biel Interzonal

1976

View Print
FCGFCG
1-0

Smyslov, Vassily vs Weigel, Herbert

Wch Seniors

1991

View Print

Games (2627)

Search & Filter All Games →
Smyslov, Vassily vs Benko, Pal C
1-0
Budapest 1952 C90
Smyslov, Vassily vs Chekhover, Vitaly
1/2-1/2
URS-ch sf 1951 D30
Smyslov, Vassily vs Panov, Vasily N
1-0
URS-ch sf 1951 E62
Flohr, Salo vs Smyslov, Vassily
0-1
URS-ch19 1951 E32
Smyslov, Vassily vs Moiseev, Oleg L
1/2-1/2
URS-ch19 1951 B25
Smyslov, Vassily vs Moiseev, Oleg L
1-0
URS-ch sf 1951 E54
Kortschnoj, Viktor vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Chigorin mem 1951 C50
Bondarevsky, Igor vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
URS-ch19 1951 D94
Smyslov, Vassily vs Simagin, Vladimir
1-0
URS-ch19 1951 A35
Smyslov, Vassily vs Byvshev, Vasily Mikhailovich
1-0
Chigorin mem 1951 E03
Novotelnov, Nikolay Alexandrovi vs Smyslov, Vassily
1-0
URS-ch19 1951 E56
Aratovsky, Nikolay Konstantino vs Smyslov, Vassily
0-1
URS-ch sf 1951 D18
Smyslov, Vassily vs Kotov, Alexander
1/2-1/2
URS-ch19 1951 B85
Smyslov, Vassily vs Kuzminykh, Evgeny
1-0
URS-ch sf 1951 B07
Smyslov, Vassily vs Kopylov, Nikolai G
1-0
URS-ch19 1951 B25
Smyslov, Vassily vs Taimanov, Mark E
1-0
Chigorin mem 1951 E02
Smyslov, Vassily vs Estrin, Yacov
1-0
Chigorin mem 1951 D32
Terpugov, Evgeny vs Smyslov, Vassily
0-1
URS-ch19 1951 D94
Lipnitsky, Isaak vs Smyslov, Vassily
0-1
URS-ch19 1951 E33
Smyslov, Vassily vs Taimanov, Mark E
1-0
URS-ch19 1951 A13
Aronin, Lev Solomonovich vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
URS-ch19 1951 B08
Smyslov, Vassily vs Tolush, Alexander V
1-0
Chigorin mem 1951 A63
Smyslov, Vassily vs Suetin, Alexey S
1-0
URS-ch sf 1951 E03
Smyslov, Vassily vs Kan, Ilia Abramovich
1/2-1/2
URS-ch sf 1951 A13
Kopylov, Nikolai G vs Smyslov, Vassily
0-1
URS-ch sf 1951 E18
Averbakh, Yuri L vs Smyslov, Vassily
1-0
URS-ch19 1951 C87
Smyslov, Vassily vs Krogius, Nikolai V
1-0
URS-ch sf 1951 C89
Terpugov, Evgeny vs Smyslov, Vassily
0-1
URS-ch sf 1951 D10
Smyslov, Vassily vs Boleslavsky, Isaak
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1950 A36
Smyslov, Vassily vs Donner, Jan Hein
1-0
Venice 1950 C12
Smyslov, Vassily vs Golombek, Harry
1-0
Venice 1950 B10
Smyslov, Vassily vs Flohr, Salo
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1950 B10
Smyslov, Vassily vs Lilienthal, Andor
1-0
Candidats Tournament 1950 A34
Smyslov, Vassily vs Liublinsky, Victor Alexandrovic
1-0
URS-ch18 1950 E66
Smyslov, Vassily vs Rossolimo, Nicolas
1/2-1/2
Venice 1950 E68
Lilienthal, Andor vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Candidats Tournament 1950 D19
Steiner, Herman vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Venice 1950 C50
Aronin, Lev Solomonovich vs Smyslov, Vassily
0-1
URS-ch18 1950 A19
Kotov, Alexander vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Venice 1950 D94
Smyslov, Vassily vs Szabados, Eugenio
1-0
Venice 1950 B20
Smyslov, Vassily vs Castillo, Manuel
1-0
Venice 1950 C81
Czerniak, Moshe vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Venice 1950 B56
Lipnitsky, Isaak vs Smyslov, Vassily
1-0
URS-ch18 1950 D13
Smyslov, Vassily vs Sokolsky, Alexey
1-0
URS-ch18 1950 A36
Smyslov, Vassily vs Primavera, Giuseppe
1-0
Venice 1950 E69
Wade, Robert Graham vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
Venice 1950 C84
Smyslov, Vassily vs Suetin, Alexey S
1-0
URS-ch18 1950 D71
Nestler, Vincenzo vs Smyslov, Vassily
0-1
Venice 1950 D02
Smyslov, Vassily vs Letelier, Rene
1-0
Venice 1950 C19
Smyslov, Vassily vs Konstantinopolsky, Alexander
1/2-1/2
URS-ch18 1950 E02
PreviousPage 47 of 53Next

Explore More

All PlayersAll OpeningsFamous Games