Play Chess Against Vasily Smyslov

Vasily Smyslov (1921-2010), seventh world champion and the game's great poet of harmony, sits across the board. Set the strength, clock, color and starting position, then press Start game.

Play Smyslov now

Portrait of Vasily Smyslov — Vasily Smyslov, 1921-2010.

Black · Vasily Smyslov10:00

Choose the settings, then press Start game.

White · You10:00

Vasily Smyslovhistorical player

Preparing the board.

Set the game on the right. Start unlocks the board and starts the side-to-move clock.

Set up your game against Vasily Smyslov

Vasily Smyslov stays selected. Choose the playing strength, clock, color and starting position.

OpponentVasily SmyslovStrength1500Clock10+5You playWhite

Opponent

Vasily Smyslov remains selected while you choose the settings for this game.

Vasily Smyslov1921-2010

Playing strength

Legend playing strength100-point steps

1500

1500Smyslov, 1500 Elo target2600

Time control

The first number is the starting time in minutes. The second is the increment after each completed legal move.

Your color

Starting position optional

All chess legends

Start game locks these settings and begins the selected clock. Change setup unlocks them for a new game.

About Vasily Smyslov

Vasily Smyslov during a chess event in 1964

Vasily Smyslov (1921-2010), the seventh world champion, believed in the harmony of the pieces above all else. He took the crown from Mikhail Botvinnik in 1957 after drawing their first match in 1954, and stayed a world championship force for decades, reaching the Candidates final at 62. His endgame technique set a standard that every later champion studied, and away from the board he was a trained baritone who loved opera almost as much as chess.

World champion 1957-1958Beat Botvinnik 12.5-9.5; the two played three title matches in five years

Two-time Candidates winnerWon Zurich 1953 and Amsterdam 1956, the two strongest Candidates events of the decade

Candidates final at 62Beat Hübner and Ribli in 1983 before losing the final to Kasparov

A baritone's second lifeA classically trained singer who once auditioned for the Bolshoi

1921
Born in Moscow
Vasily Vasilievich Smyslov was born on 24 March 1921. His father, a strong amateur, taught him chess and gave him his love of music.
1941
Third among the giants
At 20 he finished third behind Botvinnik and Keres in the Absolute Championship of the USSR.
1949
Soviet champion
Shared the USSR championship with David Bronstein, the first of his two national titles.
1953
Wins the Zurich Candidates
Took first place two points clear of the field in what many call the strongest tournament ever held, earning a title match.
1954
The 12-12 epic
Drew his first world championship match with Botvinnik 12-12, so the champion kept the crown and Smyslov had to qualify again.
1957
Seventh world champion
Beat Botvinnik 12.5-9.5 and finally took the title he had chased since the war.
1958
Loses the rematch
Botvinnik invoked the automatic rematch clause and won the crown back 12.5-10.5.
1983
Candidates final at 62
Beat Robert Hübner and Zoltan Ribli to reach the Candidates final, where the young Garry Kasparov proved too strong.
1991
World senior champion
Won the first World Senior Championship at 70, still playing the pure chess of his prime.
2010
Dies in Moscow
Died on 27 March 2010, three days after his 89th birthday. His endgames remain required study for every serious player.