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Boris Spassky

File:Dhr._Boris_Spassky,_Bestanddeelnr_932-7320.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Boris Spassky

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Also known as Boris Vasilievich Spassky, Boris Vasselievich Spassky

Russian chess player (1937–2025)

AI overview

Boris Spassky was a Russian chess grandmaster who lived from 1937 to 2025 and is best known for being the World Chess Champion from 1969 to 1972. He remains historically significant in chess as one of the sport's greatest players and for his role in the famous 1972 World Championship match against American Bobby Fischer.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

Instance of
human
Given name
Boris
Gender
male
Citizenship
Russia
Place of birth
Saint Petersburg
Place of death
Moscow
Occupation
chess player
Languages spoken
English language
Award
Honorary Railwayman
Participant in
28th Chess Olympiad
Field of work
chess
Sport
chess
Country for sport
Soviet Union
Image
Dhr. Boris Spassky, Bestanddeelnr 932-7320.jpg
Residence
Meudon
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Commons category
Boris Spassky
Commons gallery
Boris Spassky
date of birth
1937-01-30
name in native language
Бори́с Васи́льевич Спа́сский
Elo rating
2548
Stack Exchange tag
chess.stackexchange.com/tags/spassky
date of death
2025-02-27
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Encyclopedic overview

Boris Vasilyevich Spassky (Russian: Борис Васильевич Спасский; January 30, 1937 – February 27, 2025) was a Soviet and Russian chess grandmaster who was the tenth World Chess Champion, holding the title from 1969 to 1972. Spassky played three world championship matches: he lost to Tigran Petrosian in 1966; defeated Petrosian in 1969 to become world champion; then lost to Bobby Fischer in a famous match in 1972.

Spassky won the Soviet Chess Championship twice outright (1961, 1973), and twice lost in playoffs (1956, 1963), after tying for first place during the event proper. He was a World Chess Championship candidate on seven occasions (1956, 1965, 1968, 1974, 1977, 1980, 1985). In addition to his Candidates wins in 1965 and 1968, Spassky reached the semi-final stage in 1974 and the final stage in 1977.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Boris Spassky” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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