1937–2025 / Soviet Union; later France
Boris Spassky
An attack has many forms.
A life at the board
Born in Leningrad, Spassky became a grandmaster at 18. After losing the 1966 world championship match to Tigran Petrosian, he won their 1969 rematch to become the tenth world champion. He lost the title to Fischer in 1972. His versatility let him handle very different kinds of positions.
- 1937Born in Leningrad.
- 1955Becomes a grandmaster.
- 1960Plays his famous attack against Bronstein.
- 1969Wins the world championship.
- 1972Plays Fischer in the Reykjavik match.
- 2025Dies at 88.
FOR DISCUSSION
What changes when a pawn advances and opens a file?
Games in the archive
Explore the sources
Portrait credits
- Boris Spassky (1956) — Herbert Behrens / Anefo · Nationaal Archief. Original · CC BY-SA 3.0 NL
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Original files are preserved; framing and a paper tint are applied on screen. Displayed versions retain each portrait’s license.