Boris Spassky was a Russian chess grandmaster and world champion who famously lost to Bobby Fischer in the so-called “Match of the Century” in 1972.
- Died: February 27, 2025 (Who else died on February 27?)
- Details of death: Died in Moscow at the age of 88.
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Boris Spassky’s legacy
Spassky, a Russian chess grandmaster, is perhaps best known for his loss against American icon Bobby Fischer (1943–2008) in 1972, a competition dubbed the “Match of the Century,” but in truth, his legacy is one of winning.
Born in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), Spassky started playing chess at the age of five while his country was in the midst of World War II. By 10, he was learning from master-level coaches, and by 15, he had reached Soviet Master rank. He was a grandmaster before he left his teens, taking home championships and positioning himself to be among the best in the world.
He was a World Chess Championship candidate in 1956 and 1965, and he earned his chance to go all the way in ’66. His first attempt to become world champion fell short when he lost to Tigran Petrosian that year, but he closed the deal in 1969 when he won a rematch. Spassky reigned until 1972, when he and Fischer squared off in a meeting that was the most widely covered chess match in media history, one that continued to resonate years after it happened. Fischer was an eccentric, Spassky more reserved. That contrast helped capture worldwide attention even as it put them sharply at odds with one another. Fischer won 12½–8½.
Though it was a famous loss, it hardly spelled the end of Spassky’s career. He was Soviet Chess Championship the following year, his second time earning that crown, and he became a World Chess Championship candidate four more times (in 1974, ’77, ’80, and ’85), among other high-profile victories.
Spassky remained a top 10 chess player through the mid-1980s before slowing down. An unofficial rematch with Fischer in 1992 briefly thrust him back into the limelight. Spassky lost, though both men faced the game with a lighter spirit this time around. He played occasional matches in later years, but after the rematch, Spassky was effectively retired, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most creative competitors of his era.
On his match with Bobby Fischer
“Fischer made short work of me. [Mikhail] Tal was right when he said, ‘There was no Spassky in this match.’ I had actually lost before the match. My nervous system was completely broken. The Soviets were bothering me, and I also made my life difficult. Both Fischer and I were fighting windmills!” — interview with Kingpin 29, 1998
Tributes to Boris Spassky
Full obituary: The New York Times
