Szabo László (19.03.1917 – 08.08.1998)

Hungarian Grandmaster (1950). International Arbiter (1954). Author. The strongest Hungarian player from the 1940s to the 1960s. Champion of Hungary in 1935, 1937, 1946, 1950, 1952, 1954 and 1967 and three times shared the first place (1958-59 and 1961).

Szabo learned to play chess at the age of 6, at 14 he began to take part in chess tournaments, at 17 he became a National Master and at 18 became the Champion of Hungary. Won or shared first at Tatatovarosh 1935, Hastings 1938-39. During the period of 1946-79, he participated in 88 international tournaments and scored 21 wins and 30 second-third places. The most important victories were: Vienna 1947, Hastings 1947-48, 1949-50, 1973-74, Budapest 1948, 1965, Paris 1964 and 1966, Valencia 1949, Zagreb 1964, Sarajevo 1972, Dortmund 1974 and Helsinki 1979. He played in the Zonal and Interzonal Tournaments, three times was second: at Saltsobaden 1948, Marianske Lazne 1951 and Prague –Marianske Lazne 1954, and once was the winner at Wageningen in 1957.

A participant in 11 Olympiads and seven times in the European Team Championships.

The author of My Best Chess Games (1986).

Szabo played 2707 games in official tournaments and scored 1191 wins, 373 losses and 1143 draws (about 65%).