Efim Bogolyubov[1] (14 April 1889 – 18 June 1952) was aUkrainian–Germanchessgrandmaster who won numerous events and played two matches withAlexander Alekhine for the world championship. His weak point, it is said, was over-optimism, but at his best he was one of the world's leading players.[2]p49
After theWorld War I, he won international tournaments atBerlin 1919,Stockholm 1919, Stockholm 1920,Kiel 1921, andPistyan (Pieštany) 1922. He tied for 1st–3rd at Karlsbad (Karlovy Vary) 1923.
In 1924 Bogoljubow briefly returned to Russia, which had since become the Soviet Union, and won consecutiveUSSR championships in 1924 and 1925.[3] He also won at Breslau (Wroclaw) 1925, and inMoscow 1925, ahead of a field which includedEmanuel Lasker andJosé Raúl Capablanca.
In 1926, he emigrated to Germany. He won, ahead ofAkiba Rubinstein that year at Berlin. AtBad Kissingen 1928, he triumphed (+6 –1 =4) over a field which included Capablanca,Nimzovich andSavielly Tartakower. Bogoljubov won two matches againstMax Euwe (both 5.5–4.5) in 1928 and 1928/29 in Holland. He played matches for theWorld Chess Championship twice against Alekhine, losing 15.5–9.5 in 1929, and 15.5–10.5 in 1934.
He represented Germany at first board in the 4thChess Olympiad atPrague 1931, winning the individual silver medal (+9 –1 =7).[4] Bogoljubov continued to have good tournament results throughout the 1930s.
DuringWorld War II, he lost a match to Euwe (+2 –5 =3) atKrefeld 1941, and drew a mini-match with Alekhine (+1 –1 =0) atWarsaw 1943. He also played in numerous tournaments held inNazi-held territory throughout the war. After the war, he lived in West Germany. In 1947, he won inLüneburg, andKassel. In 1949 he won in Bad Pyrmont (3rd West GER-ch), and tied for 1st-2nd inOldenburg. In 1951, he won inAugsburg, andSaarbrücken.
He was awarded the grandmaster title by the World Chess Federation (FIDE) in 1951.
TheBogo-Indian Defence (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+) is named after Bogolyubov.