Soviet-era world chess champion Boris Spassky, whose clash against American Bobby Fischer in 1972 was seen as a proxy to Cold War rivalries, died on Thursday in Moscow.
He was 88.
The International Chess Federation confirmed the news on X but did not clarify the exact cause of his death.
“The chess world mourns the loss of Boris Spassky, the 10th World Champion and one of the greatest players of all time. A true prodigy, Spassky became a Grandmaster at 18 and claimed the World Chess Championship title in 1969,” the chess body said on X.
“Known for his universal playing style and unforgettable matches, Spassky left an indelible mark on the game. From his historic battles with Petrosian to the legendary ‘Match of the Century’ against Fischer, his legacy will forever inspire chess players worldwide,” the X post further said.
“Rest in peace, Boris Spassky. Your contributions to chess will never be forgotten,” the chess body said.
His televised clash against Bobby Fischer was dubbed by the media as the “Match of the Century.”
Fischer’s victory marked the first world chess title win for the USA.
The match, which was broadcast to 50 million viewers, lasted 21 games.
Fischer died in 2008.
Boris Spassky, a chess prodigy, earned the Grandmaster title at 18 and made his Candidates Tournament debut in 1956 (Amsterdam) at 19.
A two-time USSR Champion (1961 and 1973), Spassky played for the Soviet team in seven Chess Olympiads (1962–1978), winning thirteen medals (team and individual) and scoring 69 points in 94 games (+45−1=48), the chess body’s website said.
He emigrated to France with his third wife in 1976.\\he assumed French citizenship in 1978.
He even represented France in three Olympiads (1984–1988) on board one.
He returned to Russia in 2012.
“The first genuinely universal player, Spassky was not an opening specialist, but he excelled in complex and dynamic middlegame positions, where he was in his element,” FIDE described the iconic chess player.
Former world champion Garry Kasparov remembered Spassky and wrote on X: ” RIP to the 10th world champion, Boris Spassky, here looking over my shoulder at my match with Hübner in 1985. Boris was never above befriending and mentoring the next generation, especially those of us who, like him, didn’t fit comfortably into the Soviet machine. (He emigrated to France in 1976).”
“It was a pleasure to tell my stories and those of others about him in the third volume of My Great Predecessors. His rise as a prodigy, conquest of the crown against the invincible Petrosian on the second attempt, and decades of elite play are too often lost in the shadow of his dramatic title loss to Bobby Fischer in 1972 and the circus Fischer turned it into. But Spassky always wanted to play, and he handled the situation with impressive dignity. While his chess justified the “universal” label that frequently follows his name, his aggressive gambiteering style produced countless masterpieces,” he said.
