Efim Bogoljubov

Born on 14 April 1889 in Stanislavchyk, near Kiev, in the Russian Empire (now Ukraine), into the family of a rural priest.

Learned the game relatively late, at age 15, and only became seriously interested in chess around age 18.

Initially wanted to become a priest and studied theology in Kiev, then considered farming and studied agriculture, but eventually abandoned his studies for chess.

Studied theology in Kiev, then agriculture at the Polytechnical Institute.

Did not finish either course of study, choosing chess instead.

One of the strongest players in the world in the 1920s and 1930s.

Won the Soviet Championship in 1924 and the famous Moscow 1925 tournament ahead of Capablanca.

Twice challenged Alexander Alekhine for the World Championship: in 1929 and 1934, losing both matches.

Became a German citizen in 1927 and represented Germany in international competitions.

His style was creative, aggressive, and unpredictable, and he was known for his deep opening preparation.

Awarded the International Grandmaster title by FIDE in 1951.

His most famous quote, a testament to his boundless self-confidence: "When I am White, I win because I am White. When I am Black, I win because I am Bogoljubov."

During World War I, while traveling to the Mannheim tournament in 1914, he was interned in Germany as a Russian citizen. He met his future wife, Frieda Kaltenbach, during his internment, and they married in 1920.

He sent his tournament winnings back to Germany, and his wife invested the money in a house in Triberg, which provided the family with a reliable income by renting rooms to tourists.

Died in 1952 at age 62, leading tournaments to his dying day.

"When I am White, I win because I am White. When I am Black, I win because I am Bogoljubov."

Bogoljubov wrote several tournament books and instructional works, though he is less known as an author than as a player.

His games have been collected in several modern volumes, including the two-volume The Creative Power of Bogoljubov.