László Szabó was a prominent Hungarian chess player and grandmaster, born in 1917 and died in 1998. Versed in various chess styles, Szabó competed in nine Chess Olympiads and World Chess Championship cycles, earning numerous national and international awards throughout his successful career. He helped Hungary win gold at the Chess Olympiad in 1952, and silver in 1936, 1956, and 1966. He is also the seven-time winner of the Hungarian Championship.
After a thorough education in law and economics, Szabó became a professional chess player. Although World War II affected his initial years of play, he fortunately survived internment at a Nazi labour camp and resumed his career post-war. He took part in several competitions worldwide including the 1950 Candidates Tournament, where he finished in sixth place. Although he did not succeed in becoming a world champion, Szabó remained an influential player in the global chess scene, eventually becoming an International Arbiter, which is the highest qualification a chess referee can earn.
László Szabó is acclaimed for his contributions to chess literature, having written several books and articles on the subject. As an active player until the 1980s and an enduring influence in the chess community, Szabó's legacy is still evident in contemporary chess culture.