Remembering Spassky

Back in 2008, Boris Spassky paid a visit to Bobby Fischer’s grave in Iceland. ‘Do you think the spot next to him is available?’ he mused. Last week, Spassky died too, at the age of 88. The two world champions were rivals, but also the unlikeliest of friends. Spassky was born in Leningrad in 1937, and won recognition at the age of ten by beating the Soviet champion Mikhail Botvinnik in a simultaneous exhibition. By the age of 18, he had earned the grandmaster title and qualified for the Candidates tournament in Amsterdam, 1956. Ten years later, he played a world championship match against Tigran Petrosian, but lost narrowly: 12.5-11.5. Spassky, who is often described as having a ‘universal’ style, qualified for another match with Petrosian in 1969. His versatility made him an even stronger challenger the second time around, and he won the match by 12.5-10.5, to become the tenth world chess champion.

Spassky’s challenger in 1972 was Fischer, when they contested the ‘Match of the Century’ in Reykjavik; a Soviet champion and an American challenger, at the height of the Cold War. Were it not for Spassky’s sportsmanship, that match might never have happened. The volatile Fischer failed to turn up for the opening ceremony, and Spassky resisted political pressure to claim victory by default. When the match finally began, Fischer lost the first game and forfeited the second after a dispute over the playing conditions, demanding to play without cameras and spectators present. Spassky acceded, evidently determined – to his credit – that the match must be decided over the chessboard. But that proved a turning point, and the negotiations undoubtedly took a psychological toll on Spassky. Fischer dominated the rest of the match and won by 12.5-8.5. Despite the tension, they remained on good terms, even playing an unofficial rematch in Yugoslavia in 1992, with Fischer competing in defiance of US sanctions.