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NBC News
28-02-2025
- Sport
- NBC News
Russian chess grandmaster Spassky dies aged 88
Russian chess grandmaster Boris Spassky has died at the age of 88, international chess federation (FIDE) general director Emil Sutovsky told Reuters on Thursday. Spassky, who took French nationality in 1978, was the 10th World Chess Champion, holding the title from 1969-1972, when he lost it to American Bobby Fischer in Reykjavik in a contest later dubbed as the 'Match of the Century'. During that match in the midst of the Cold War, which he lost 12.5-8.5 despite winning the first two games, Spassky showed great sportsmanship, applauding Fischer after losing the sixth game. Former world champion Anatoly Karpov, who beat Spassky in the semi-finals of the Candidates tournament in 1974, paid a warm tribute. 'My idols in chess were Jose Capablanca and Boris Spassky. And when I managed to beat Spassky, it was the greatest of victories and, in a sense, defeating something inside me by beating my teacher,' Karpov told state news agency RIA. 'For me, Boris Spassky was an entire era for chess. He became most famous, of course, for being the man who handed over the title to Bobby Fischer. 'But he had chances to win that match. He may have lost by a wide margin, but when everything was in his favor, he let his chances slip away.' Spassky had been the oldest living world chess champion. 'A great personality has passed away, generations of chess players have studied and are studying his games and his work. This is a great loss for the country,' Russian Chess Federation President Andrei Filatov told the TASS news agency. Alexander Tkachev, executive director of the Russian Chess Federation, said Spassky's death was a huge loss for the world of chess. 'Boris Vasilevich lived in Moscow and was in contact with everyone close to him... I knew him in a different way than from books. It was always interesting to speak with him. He was a very interesting story-teller and it's hard for me to talk about him leaving us,' Tkachev told RIA news agency. Spassky represented France in three chess Olympiads in 1984, 1986 and 1988, and was seen playing in the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris during the 1990s. After his health deteriorated in the early 2000s, Spassky disappeared from Paris in August, 2012 before resurfacing in Moscow in October that year. 'It was my desire to return to Russia, because my time in France had run its course. It was time to start a new stage. I understood it was time to leave,' he said at the time.
Voice of America
28-02-2025
- Sport
- Voice of America
Russian chess grandmaster Boris Spassky dies at 88
Soviet chess grandmaster Boris Spassky, who was famously defeated at the height of the Cold War, has died at 88, the Russian Chess Federation announced Thursday. "The tenth world champion Boris Spassky has died at 88," the Russian Chess Federation said in a statement on its website, calling this a "great loss for the country." The statement did not say when exactly he died or from what cause. Spassky is best remembered for his duel with American Bobby Fischer in 1972, which was emblematic of the confrontation between East and West. The iconic Cold War duel has been the subject of numerous books, documentaries and films. Most notably it inspired the Walter Tevis novel The Queen's Gambit, which was adapted into the acclaimed Netflix series in 2020. Spassky became world champion in 1969 and held the title until he played the match that would define his career, facing the eccentric American prodigy. With the Soviet Union having dominated the game for years, Spassky faced a must-win situation and initially took the lead. But the American roared back to win, ending an unbroken streak of Soviet world champions since 1948. Although the loss was a slap in the face for Moscow, Spassky admitted decades later it was a relief to be rid of a "colossal responsibility." Born in 1937 in Leningrad, now St. Petersburg, Spassky showed prodigious talent early, becoming junior world champion and the youngest grandmaster in history at the time at 18.
Emirates 24/7
28-02-2025
- Sport
- Emirates 24/7
Boris Spassky, Former World Chess Champion, Dies at 88
Russian chess grandmaster Boris Spassky has passed away at the age of 88, International Chess Federation (FIDE) General Director Emil Sutovsky confirmed to Reuters on Thursday. Spassky, who became a French citizen in 1978, was the 10th World Chess Champion, holding the title from 1969 to 1972. He famously lost his crown to American Bobby Fischer in Reykjavik in what became known as the "Match of the Century," a contest played against the backdrop of Cold War tensions. Despite winning the first two games, Spassky ultimately fell to Fischer 12.5-8.5. His sportsmanship during the match was widely praised, particularly when he applauded Fischer after losing the sixth game. Former world champion Anatoly Karpov, who defeated Spassky in the semi-finals of the 1974 Candidates Tournament, paid tribute to his former rival. "My idols in chess were Jose Capablanca and Boris Spassky. When I managed to beat Spassky, it was the greatest victory and, in a sense, felt like overcoming something within myself by defeating my teacher," Karpov told state news agency RIA. "For me, Boris Spassky represented an entire era in chess. He is most famous, of course, for losing the title to Bobby Fischer, but he had chances to win that match. Though the final score was decisive, when the momentum was in his favor, he let his chances slip away." Spassky had been the oldest living world chess champion before his passing. Russian Chess Federation President Andrei Filatov described his death as a great loss. "A great personality has passed away. Generations of chess players have studied and continue to study his games and his work. This is a tremendous loss for the country," Filatov told TASS news agency. Alexander Tkachev, Executive Director of the Russian Chess Federation, also reflected on Spassky's legacy. "Boris Vasilevich lived in Moscow and maintained contact with those close to him. I knew him not just from books but personally—it was always fascinating to speak with him. He was a wonderful storyteller, and it is difficult for me to accept that he is gone," Tkachev told RIA. During his career, Spassky represented France in three Chess Olympiads in 1984, 1986, and 1988, and was often seen playing chess in the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris during the 1990s. His health began deteriorating in the early 2000s, and in August 2012, he unexpectedly disappeared from Paris, resurfacing in Moscow two months later. "It was my desire to return to Russia because my time in France had run its course. It was time to start a new stage in my life," Spassky said at the time. Spassky's contributions to chess, both as a player and an ambassador of the game, will be remembered for generations to come. Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.
The Guardian
27-02-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Russian chess grandmaster Boris Spassky, dies aged 88
Soviet chess grandmaster Boris Spassky, who was famously defeated at the height of the cold war, has died at 88, the Russian Chess Federation has announced. 'The tenth world champion Boris Spassky has died at 88,' the federation said in a statement on its website on Thursday, calling it a 'great loss for the country'. The statement did not say when he died or from what cause. Spassky is best remembered for his duel with US player Bobby Fischer in 1972, which was emblematic of the confrontation between east and west, and was later referred to as 'the match of the century'. The cold war showdown has been the subject of numerous books, documentaries and films. Most notably it inspired Walter Tevis's novel The Queen's Gambit, which was adapted into the acclaimed Netflix series in 2020. Spassky became world champion in 1969 and held the title until he played the match that would define his career, facing the eccentric American prodigy. The Soviet Union had dominated the game for years and Spassky faced a must-win situation, initially taking the lead. But the American roared back to win, ending an unbroken streak of Soviet world champions since 1948. Spassky showed great sportsmanship, applauding Fischer after losing the sixth game. Although the loss was a slap in the face for Moscow, Spassky admitted decades later it was a relief to be rid of a 'colossal responsibility'. Born in 1937 in Leningrad, now St Petersburg, Spassky showed prodigious talent early, becoming junior world champion and the youngest grandmaster in history at the time at 18. Spassky, who was the oldest living world chess champion, represented France in three chess Olympiads in 1984, 1986 and 1988, and was seen playing in the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris during the 1990s. His health deteriorated in the early 2000s, and he disappeared from Paris in August 2012 before resurfacing in Moscow in October that year. 'It was my desire to return to Russia, because my time in France had run its course. It was time to start a new stage. I understood it was time to leave,' Spassky said at the time.
Euronews
27-02-2025
- Sport
- Euronews
Soviet chess champion Boris Spassky dies at 88
Soviet chess world champion Boris Spassky has died at age 88. It was announced by the Russian Chess Federation that regretted the event as a 'great loss for Russia'. Spassky held the title of world champion from 1969 to 1972, when he lost his crown to the US grandmaster Bobby Fischer. The duel between the two chessboard giants became the symbol of the Cold War rivalry between the USA and the Soviet Union.
