Chess Champions: Boris Spassky

One of the most talented players of his generation, Boris Spassky (born in 1937) was considered a chess prodigy. He attained the Grandmaster title at the age of 18 and made his debut in the Candidates Tournament (Amsterdam, 1956) at 19. He showed great potential but missed two championship cycles, only to resume his quest for the chess crown eight years later.

After defeating Keres (1965), Geller (1965), and Tal (1965) in Candidates matches, he earned the right to challenge Petrosian but lost the title match (Moscow, 1966). Spassky made it all the way up again in the next cycle and won the crown in his second match (Moscow, 1969) against the ninth world champion by a score of 12½-10½.

Spassky played seven times for the Soviet Olympiad team (1962–1978). He won thirteen medals (team and individual results) and scored 69 points in 94 games (+45−1=48). In 1976, Spassky immigrated to France with his third wife; he became a French citizen in 1978 and competed for France in three Olympiads (1984–1988) on board one. In 2012, Spassky left France and returned to Russia.

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