Boris Spassky

Boris Vasilievich Spassky was born on January 30, 1937 in Leningrad. He learned to play chess at the age of 5. When he was 18, he won the World Junior Chess Championship in Antwerp, Belgium. This accomplishment earned him the title of grandmaster.

Spassky was considered an all-around player, and his "universal style" was a distinct advantage in beating many top Grandmasters. For example, when he played the legendary tactician Mikhail Tal in the 1965 Candidates Final match held in Tbilisi, he was able to steer play into quiet positions, avoiding Tal's tactical strength. This enabled him to play in his first World Championship match against Tigran Petrosian in 1966. Spassky ended up losing the match with 3 wins, 4 losses, and 17 draws. Within the next 2 years, he again earned the right to challenge Petrosian in the 1969 World Championship. This time, his flexibility of style was the key to his eventual victory over Petrosian by 2 points.

Spassky only kept the title of World Champion for 3 years. In 1972, he lost to Bobby Fischer of the United States in the "Match of the Century". The match was held in Reykjavk, Iceland, at the height of the Cold War. It was seen as symbolic of the political confrontation between the 2 superpowers. After losing, he returned home to the U.S.S.R. in disgrace. He continued playing and won several championships including the 1973 Soviet championship. In 1974, he played against the up and coming Anatoly Karpov in the Candidates matches in Leningrad. Although Karpov had publicly acknowledged that Spassky was superior, Karpov beat him by a score of +4 -1.

During his later years, Spassky was reluctant to devote himself to chess totally. Instead, he relied on his natural talent for the game, and sometimes would rather play a game of tennis than work hard at the board. Since 1976, he has lived in France with his 3rd wife. He became a French citizen in 1978. In 1992, Fischer emerged from his 20 year hiatus from chess to arrange a "Revenge Match of the 20th century" against Spassky. The match took place in Montenegro and Belgrade and was a re-enactment of the 1972 World Championship. Spassky lost the match with a score of +5 - 10 =15. This was essentially his last major challenge.

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