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Boris Spassky
Spassky 
 

Number of games in database: 2,491
Years covered: 1948 to 2010
Last FIDE rating: 2548
Highest rating achieved in database: 2690
Overall record: +814 -216 =1370 (62.5%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games in the database. 91 exhibition games, blitz/rapid, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS
With the White pieces:
 Sicilian (238) 
    B25 B20 B23 B45 B43
 Ruy Lopez (140) 
    C92 C77 C95 C78 C73
 French Defense (98) 
    C18 C11 C16 C19 C17
 Nimzo Indian (83) 
    E30 E46 E31 E41 E54
 Caro-Kann (77) 
    B18 B17 B12 B14 B16
 Ruy Lopez, Closed (66) 
    C92 C95 C93 C96 C98
With the Black pieces:
 Ruy Lopez (247) 
    C95 C64 C92 C84 C65
 Ruy Lopez, Closed (139) 
    C95 C84 C92 C93 C89
 Sicilian (130) 
    B83 B81 B31 B80 B47
 Orthodox Defense (95) 
    D58 D55 D59 D50 D56
 Queen's Gambit Declined (83) 
    D37 D35 D31 D30 D38
 Nimzo Indian (80) 
    E59 E47 E21 E53 E42
Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   Larsen vs Spassky, 1970 0-1
   Spassky vs Bronstein, 1960 1-0
   Spassky vs Petrosian, 1969 1-0
   Spassky vs Fischer, 1960 1-0
   Spassky vs Petrosian, 1969 1-0
   Spassky vs Geller, 1968 1-0
   Spassky vs Fischer, 1972 1-0
   Spassky vs Fischer, 1972 1-0
   Spassky vs S Avtonomov, 1949 1-0
   G Andruet vs Spassky, 1988 0-1

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: [what is this?]
   Petrosian - Spassky World Championship Match (1966)
   Petrosian - Spassky World Championship Match (1969)
   Spassky - Fischer World Championship Match (1972)

NOTABLE TOURNAMENTS: [what is this?]
   Riga (1959)
   Mar del Plata (1960)
   URS-ch sf Tallinn (1959)
   Trud Championship (1960)
   URS-ch sf Rostov-on-Don (1960)
   USSR Championship 1961b (1961)
   San Juan (1969)
   Belgrade (1964)
   USSR Championship (1959)
   Amsterdam IBM (1970)
   Amsterdam Interzonal (1964)
   Capablanca Memorial (1962)
   Palma de Mallorca (1968)
   USSR Championship (1962)
   Bucharest (1953)

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   Boris Spassky's 400 Selected Games by webbing1947
   Boris Spassky's 400 Selected Games by pacercina
   Boris Spassky's 400 Selected Games by enog
   Boris Spassky's 400 Selected Games by igiene
   Boris Spassky's 400 Selected Games by jakaiden
   Boris Spassky's 400 Selected Games by Incremental
   Boris Spassky's 400 Selected Games by JoseTigranTalFischer
   Boris Spassky's 400 Selected Games by PassedPawnDuo
   Boris Spassky's 400 Selected Games by Goatsrocknroll23
   Boris Spassky's 400 Selected Games by Retarf
   Match Spassky! by amadeus
   Match Spassky! by docjan
   Smys mad Spas by fredthebear
   Road to the Championship - Boris Spassky by suenteus po 147

Search Sacrifice Explorer for Boris Spassky
Search Google for Boris Spassky
FIDE player card for Boris Spassky

BORIS SPASSKY
(born Jan-30-1937, died Feb-27-2025, 88 years old) Russia
PRONUNCIATION:
[what is this?]

Boris Vasilievich Spassky was born in Leningrad, USSR. As a child, in 1943, he escaped from the siege of the city by German forces.

Spassky first attracted international attention by finishing equal fourth at Bucharest (1953), celebrating his sixteenth birthday during the event. (Alexander Tolush won, his finest career achievement.) In 1955 Spassky won the World Junior Chess Championship.

Spassky tied for third at the USSR Championship (1955) with World Champion Botvinnik, future champion Tigran Petrosian, and Georgy Ilivitsky, half a point behind Smyslov and Geller, who tied for first. Spassky's performance at the Gothenburg Interzonal (1955) made him, up to that date, both the youngest grandmaster ever, and the youngest ever to qualify for the Candidates tournament. Smyslov won the Amsterdam Candidates (1956).

In 1956, Spassky tied with Mark Taimanov and Yuri Averbakh for first place at the USSR Championship (1956). He fell ill and finished last among the three players in the playoff. Many people expected Spassky to be world champion before his 25th birthday, but his fifth place in the Soviet Championship of 1958 was not enough to qualify him for the Portoroz Interzonal. This was due to a last-round loss to Mikhail Tal (Spassky vs Tal, 1958), which shook him deeply.

After winning one of the four semi-finals by finishing equal first with Rashid Nezhmetdinov Leningrad champion of 1959 [rusbase-1] and 1961 [rusbase-2] and finally Soviet Champion in 1961 [rusbase-3]. Winner of the Russian Zonal [rusbase-4]. Spassky shared the first place with Smyslov and Bent Larsen at Amsterdam 1964 http://www.mark-weeks.com/chess/646.... In 1965 he eliminated Paul Keres, Efim Geller and Mikhail Tal. He faced Tigran Petrosian in the Petrosian - Spassky World Championship Match (1966), but narrowly lost.

As the losing player in the title match, Spassky automatically qualified for the next Candidates cycle, where he overcame Geller, Larsen and Korchnoi. He again faced Petrosian in the 1969 World Championship, and this time prevailed.

Spassky's style of play can be described best as lively and adaptable; this produced many brilliant victories. A position based on his victory in 1960 against David Bronstein was used in the James Bond movie, From Russia With Love. His polite, friendly disposition and entertaining games made him one of the most popular world champions. In the West, his tournament victory at Santa Monica 1966 is the most remembered http://www.worldchesslinks.net/ezqa....

In 1972, Spassky was challenged by Robert James Fischer for the World Championship; Spassky lost, 12½-8½, ending the reign of nearly 25-year Soviet hegemony over the World Championship. In the next year Spassky won the Soviet Championship ahead of many world-class grandmasters, [rusbase-5], including Anatoly Karpov.

In the next series of Candidates matches, Spassky defeated Robert Byrne, but lost to Karpov in their 1974 semifinal match. In 1977 he lost the Candidates final to Viktor Korchnoi, after eliminating Vlastimil Hort and Lajos Portisch. In 1992, Spassky played a rematch with Fischer for US $5 million and lost once again, 10 to 5 (with 15 draws).

Spassky died in Moscow on February 27, 2025.

Wikipedia article: Boris Spassky

https://nsn.fm/sport/umer-10-i-chem...

Last updated: 2025-02-28 17:12:50

Try our new games table.

 page 1 of 100; games 1-25 of 2,491  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. Smyslov vs Spassky 1-0211948SimulB76 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack
2. Spassky vs Rodgaisky 0-181948URSB45 Sicilian, Taimanov
3. Korchnoi vs Spassky 1-0121948LeningradB71 Sicilian, Dragon, Levenfish Variation
4. Spassky vs Shman 1-0351948Trud ChD37 Queen's Gambit Declined
5. Spassky vs A Nikitin  ½-½201949Ch URS (team) (juniors)A18 English, Mikenas-Carls
6. V Liavdansky vs Spassky 0-1511949Leningrad Junior ChampionshipB23 Sicilian, Closed
7. Spassky vs A Vilup 1-0271949Leningrad Junior ChampionshipD30 Queen's Gambit Declined
8. Spassky vs S Avtonomov 1-0211949Leningrad Junior ChampionshipD28 Queen's Gambit Accepted, Classical
9. Korchnoi vs Spassky 0-1511949Leningrad Junior ChampionshipB71 Sicilian, Dragon, Levenfish Variation
10. V P Zakharov vs Spassky  1-0551949Leningrad Junior ChampionshipB74 Sicilian, Dragon, Classical
11. Spassky vs Polugaevsky  ½-½151950USSR Junior Team ChampionshipD31 Queen's Gambit Declined
12. M Aizenshtadt vs Spassky 0-1331951Chigorin Memorial qual-12D50 Queen's Gambit Declined
13. Y Gusev vs Spassky 0-1241951URS-ch qfA00 Uncommon Opening
14. Y Estrin vs Spassky 0-1191951URS-ch qfC44 King's Pawn Game
15. Korchnoi vs Spassky 0-1471952LeningradD10 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav
16. Spassky vs J Yuchtman 1-0281952URS-chT JuniorsE28 Nimzo-Indian, Samisch Variation
17. Levenfish vs Spassky ½-½321952LeningradD71 Neo-Grunfeld
18. G Chepukaitis vs Spassky 0-1351952MinskC31 King's Gambit Declined, Falkbeer Counter Gambit
19. Taimanov vs Spassky ½-½591952LeningradD45 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav
20. Furman vs Spassky 0-1361952LeningradD43 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav
21. B Vladimirov vs Spassky 0-1271953LeningradD25 Queen's Gambit Accepted
22. Petrosian vs Spassky ½-½151953BucharestD10 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav
23. Spassky vs Smyslov 1-0351953BucharestE31 Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, Main line
24. V Ciocaltea vs Spassky ½-½211953BucharestC50 Giuoco Piano
25. Spassky vs Z Milev 0-1691953BucharestD87 Grunfeld, Exchange
 page 1 of 100; games 1-25 of 2,491  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Spassky wins | Spassky loses  

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 91 OF 99 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jan-30-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  Joshka: <Rookfile> That was either rapid/blitz, does not count;-) Tal never beat Karpov in a normal, regular time control game.
Jan-30-17  RookFile: That's fine, change the parameters of what you originally said.
Jan-31-17  diagonal: According to cg. database (might be incomplete), Anatoly Karpov beat Mikhail Tal 1 to 0, with 19 draws in the years between 1971 and 1989 (meaning after Tal appeared in the chess firmament like a meteor in the late 1950s), including rapid/blitz etc. games: Karpov beat Tal 2 to 1, pretty close..
Jan-31-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  Sally Simpson: Ah...Missed Boris's Birthday, no excuse as I mentioned it in an earlier blog this year.

A 1937 Blind Date with Boris Spassky

http://www.redhotpawn.com/chess-blo...

He was born on the exact same day as Vanessa Redgrave don't you know.

(better zoom off to Vanessa Redgrave's site and wish her a belated happy birthday as well.)

Feb-11-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  Fusilli: <Sally Simpson> How's his health these days, do you know? One doesn't hear much about him, but when he shows up anywhere it's always so inspirational for today's players, GMs and amateurs alike.
Mar-06-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  Sally Simpson: Just been reading this from:

http://archive.spectator.co.uk/arti...

In 1981 he [Spassky] got a first (unsavoury) glimpse of an emerging superstar, Gary Kasparov.

The then 19-year-old strode up to his opponent of the next day, ex-world champion Petrosian, and, quite unprompted, snarled, `I'm going to f*** you, Tigran 'Vartanovich.'

Petrosian was appalled. Spassky, who was present, noted that this boy, all energy and aggression, needed humiliating.

So during games with Kasparov he would say, 'I offer a draw from a position of strength.'

Once he even grabbed Kasparov firmly by the buttocks whilst on stage in full view of the audience. This somewhat unusual approach seems to have worked, as Kasparov has only recently succeeded in beating Spassky."

Written in 1992.

Mar-19-17  TheFocus: Quote of the day: <I'm not afraid of Spassky. The world knows I'm the best. You don't need a match to prove it> - Fischer.
Mar-19-17  zanzibar: <Fusilli> Two strokes in ten years, the most recent in Moscow, have presented him with severe challenges. Plus the divorce from his "French wife".

But he sounds, er, somewhat optimistic, and definitely lucid, in this interview:

<OK. Whom do you consider a chess genius?

I'd better list my favourite chess players. Paul Morphy, Harry Pillsbury. Mikhail Chigorin. Alexander Alekhine. Alexander Dmitrievich Petrov, the forefather of Russian chess. Misha Tal. Tragic figures, all of them.>

https://chess24.com/en/read/news/bo...

.

Oct-11-17  diagonal: <When we were young>: Boris Spassky at age of 19 at the Candidate's Tournament in Amsterdam in 1956: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe...

Photo: Herbert Behrens, Anefo — Nationaal Archief / Wikipedia

Oct-12-17  WorstPlayerEver: <1981 he [Spassky] got a first (unsavoury) glimpse of an emerging superstar, Gary Kasparov.

The then 19-year-old strode up to his opponent of the next day, ex-world champion Petrosian, and, quite unprompted, snarled, `I'm going to f*** you, Tigran 'Vartanovich.'>

Kasparov wasn't 19 in 1981 though.

Dec-11-17  RookFile: Petrosian evidently wasn't scared. He went out and beat Kasparov.
Jan-24-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: When Boris Yeltsin was the leader of whatever country he was leader of, the BBC got a sudden Bee in its Bonnet about the Correct pronunciation of Boris. For about a year he was called Baris Yeltsin. It was still spelled Boris but pronounced Baris.

After about a year Auntie Beeb, as we call the BBC, seemed to change its mind and reverted to the old Boris.

Jan-28-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  Ron: Back in the 1990s I played chess with a Russian emigre to the US named Boris. I think his last name was Schneider.

Someone asked me, "Is he a good player?" I said, "Yes, he's a good player. His name is Boris."

At the time, the Boris I played chess with was a senior citizen. This Boris told me that one time he watched, with Tigran Petrosian, a soccer game on TV.

Jan-28-18  Granny O Doul: I've heard it as approximately "BeauREESSS", but I'm remembering a time in particular when it was Alex Yermolinsky asking Boris Gulko to be quiet, which may have affected the stress and the number of S's at the end ('Beau' here rhymes with 'blow', btw).
Jan-29-18  ChessHigherCat: <Granny O Doul> The general rule for "o" in Russian is that it's only pronounced "o" as in "groan" if it's stressed, "a" (as in baah-baah black sheep) if it immediately precedes the stressed (tonic) syllable (as is the case with "BarIS") and schwa anywhere else) but people aren't very good at adhering to pedantic rules when they get emotional.
Jan-29-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: <bah-REES>.
Jan-29-18  ChessHigherCat: <perfidious: <bah-REES>

Yes, <Na-TA-sha> darlink?

Jan-30-18  Scuvy: Happy birthday to a true legend of the chess world!
Jan-30-18  WorstPlayerEver: Happy birthday, mr. Spassky!
Jan-30-18  edbermac: С днём рождения Бори́с Васи́льевич!
Jan-30-18  rayoflight: Happy birthday champ.
Jan-30-18  ZonszeinP: Happy birthday!

May you live until 120!

Jan-30-18  The Kings Domain: Good to see he's still around. Long live the King.
Jan-30-18  saturn2: Happy birthday to the player who was born like me on the 30th of january; some years earlier though and with much more talent for chess than me.
Jan-30-18  Sularus: happy birthday, russian bear.
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