Boris Spassky

1937 -



10th World Champion, 1969 - 1972











Boris Vasilievich Spassky was born in 1937 in Leningrad, Russia. He learned chess as a youngster in the Urals where he lived during the Second World War. He became international master in 1953, and junior world champion in 1955 and received his grandmaster title in the same year. He won the World Championship against Tigran Petrosian in 1969.

Spassky's style of play can be described best as lively and adaptable; this produced many brilliant victories. His victory in 1960 against David Bronstein was put into a James Bond movie, From Russia With Love. His style of play was key in defeating Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian in 1969 for the World Championship. His polite, friendly disposition and his entertaining games have made him one of the most popular world champions ever.

In 1972, Spassky was challenged by Robert James Fischer for the World Championship; Spassky lost, 12-8, ending the reign of 35-year Soviet hegemony over the World Championship. In 1992 he played a rematch against Fischer for five million dollars and lost once again, 10 to 5 (with 15 draws).

Games
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[White "Bent Larsen"]
[Black "Boris Spassky"]

1. b3 e5 2. Bb2 Nc6 3. c4 Nf6 4. Nf3 e4 5. Nd4 Bc5 6. Nxc6
dxc6 7. e3 Bf5 8. Qc2 Qe7 9. Be2 O-O-O 10. f4 Ng4 11. g3 h5
12. h3 h4 13. hxg4 hxg3 14. Rg1 Rh1 15. Rxh1 g2 16. Rf1 Qh4+
17. Kd1 gxf1=Q+ 0-1

[White "Boris Spassky"]
[Black "David Bronstein"]

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 d5 4. exd5 Bd6 5. Nc3 Ne7 6. d4 O-O
7. Bd3 Nd7 8. O-O h6 9. Ne4 Nxd5 10. c4 Ne3 11. Bxe3 fxe3
12. c5 Be7 13. Bc2 Re8 14. Qd3 e2 15. Nd6 {One of the deepest
sacrifices this side of The Evergreen Game -- Soltis} Nf8
16. Nxf7 exf1=Q+ 17. Rxf1 Bf5 18. Qxf5 Qd7 19. Qf4 Bf6
20. N3e5 Qe7 21. Bb3 Bxe5 22. Nxe5+ Kh7 23. Qe4+ 1-0

[White "Boris Spassky"]
[Black "Petrosian"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5
Nbd7 7. Bc4 Qa5 8. Qd2 h6 9. Bxf6 Nxf6 10. O-O-O e6 11. Rhe1
Be7 12. f4 O-O 13. Bb3 Re8 14. Kb1 Bf8 15. g4 Nxg4 16. Qg2 Nf6
17. Rg1 Bd7 18. f5 Kh8 19. Rdf1 Qd8 20. fxe6 fxe6 21. e5 dxe5
22. Ne4 Nh5 23. Qg6 exd4 24. Ng5 1-0

[White "Boris Spassky"]
[Black "Petrosian"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. d4 c5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. e4 Nxc3
7. bxc3 cxd4 8. cxd4 Bb4+ 9. Bd2 Bxd2+ 10. Qxd2 O-O 11. Bc4
Nc6 12. O-O b6 13. Rad1 Bb7 14. Rfe1 Rc8 15. d5 exd5 16. Bxd5
Na5 17. Qf4 Qc7 18. Qf5 Bxd5 19. exd5 Qc2 20. Qf4 Qxa2 21. d6
Rcd8 22. d7 Qc4 23. Qf5 h6 24. Rc1 Qa6 25. Rc7 b5 26. Nd4 Qb6
27. Rc8 Nb7 28. Nc6 Nd6 29. Nxd8 Nxf5 30. Nc6 1-0

[White "Boris Spassky"]
[Black "Robert James Fischer"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6
7. f4 Qb6 8. Qd2 Qxb2 9. Nb3 Qa3 10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. Be2 h5
12. O-O Nc6 13. Kh1 Bd7 14. Nb1 Qb4 15. Qe3 d5 16. exd5 Ne7
17. c4 Nf5 18. Qd3 h4 19. Bg4 Nd6 20. N1d2 f5 21. a3 Qb6
22. c5 Qb5 23. Qc3 fxg4 24. a4 h3 25. axb5 hxg2+ 26. Kxg2 Rh3
27. Qf6 Nf5 28. c6 Bc8 29. dxe6 fxe6 30. Rfe1 Be7 31. Rxe6 1-0













[White "Boris Spassky"]
[Black "Robert James Fischer"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. e3 O-O 6. Bd3 c5
7. O-O Nc6 8. a3 Ba5 9. Ne2 dxc4 10. Bxc4 Bb6 11. dxc5 Qxd1
12. Rxd1 Bxc5 13. b4 Be7 14. Bb2 Bd7 15. Rac1 Rfd8 16. Ned4
Nxd4 17. Nxd4 Ba4 18. Bb3 Bxb3 19. Nxb3 Rxd1+ 20. Rxd1 Rc8
21. Kf1 Kf8 22. Ke2 Ne4 23. Rc1 Rxc1 24. Bxc1 f6 25. Na5 Nd6
26. Kd3 Bd8 27. Nc4 Bc7 28. Nxd6 Bxd6 29. b5 Bxh2 30. g3 h5
31. Ke2 h4 32. Kf3 Ke7 33. Kg2 hxg3 34. fxg3 Bxg3 35. Kxg3 Kd6
36. a4 Kd5 37. Ba3 Ke4 38. Bc5 a6 39. b6 f5 40. Kh4 f4
41. exf4 Kxf4 42. Kh5 Kf5 43. Be3 Ke4 44. Bf2 Kf5 45. Bh4 e5
46. Bg5 e4 47. Be3 Kf6 48. Kg4 Ke5 49. Kg5 Kd5 50. Kf5 a5
51. Bf2 g5 52. Kxg5 Kc4 53. Kf5 Kb4 54. Kxe4 Kxa4 55. Kd5 Kb5
56. Kd6 1-0

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