Boris Spassky

1937– Soviet Union / France World Champion 1969–1972

World champion 1969–1972, the great universal player who could attack like Tal and grind like Petrosian. He applauded Fischer's Game 6 in Reykjavik from his own side of the board — one of sport's most graceful gestures in defeat.

2,230games
713won · 32%
1,300drawn · 58%
217lost · 10%
1952–2009span

Games in the Archive

2,230 games
1-0 Boris Spassky vs Eliskases, Erich Gottlieb 1960 · Mar del Plata · Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Main Line The Soviet School 0-1 Alvarez del Monte, Jose Luis vs Boris Spassky 1960 · Mar del Plata · Sicilian Defense: Sozin Attack, Flank Variation The Soviet School 1-0 Boris Spassky vs Foguelman, Alberto 1960 · Mar del Plata · Caro-Kann Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line The Soviet School 0-1 Letelier, Rene vs Boris Spassky 1960 · Mar del Plata · Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation, with d6 The Soviet School 1-0 Boris Spassky vs Olafsson, Fridrik 1960 · Mar del Plata · Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation The Soviet School ½-½ Marini, Luis vs Boris Spassky 1960 · Mar del Plata · English Opening: Anglo-Lithuanian Variation The Soviet School 1-0 Boris Spassky vs Bazan, Osvaldo 1960 · Mar del Plata · Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation The Soviet School 1-0 Boris Spassky vs Lutikov, Anatoly S 1960 · URS-chT · French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation The Soviet School ½-½ Malich, Burkhard vs Boris Spassky 1960 · Leningrad tt · Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin Variation, Alburt Defense The Soviet School ½-½ Nei, Iivo vs Boris Spassky 1960 · URS-ch27 · King's Indian Defense: Accelerated Averbakh Variation The Soviet School ½-½ Simagin, Vladimir vs Boris Spassky 1960 · URS-ch27 · Sicilian Defense: Moscow Variation The Soviet School ½-½ Wexler, Bernardo vs Boris Spassky 1960 · Mar del Plata · Nimzo-Indian Defense: St. Petersburg Variation, Romanishin-Psakhis Variation The Soviet School 1-0 Boris Spassky vs Mikhail Tal 1961 · URS-ch29 · King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Yugoslav Variation, Exchange Line The Soviet School 0-1 Vasily Smyslov vs Boris Spassky 1961 · URS-ch29 · King's Indian Attack The Soviet School ½-½ Boris Spassky vs Vasily Smyslov 1961 · URS-ch28 · Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation The Soviet School 0-1 Kots, Yury Isakovich vs Boris Spassky 1961 · URS-ch29 · Ruy Lopez: Closed, Averbakh Variation The Soviet School 1-0 Boris Spassky vs Gipslis, Aivars 1961 · URS-ch29 · Sicilian Defense: Closed The Soviet School 0-1 Savon, Vladimir A vs Boris Spassky 1961 · URS-ch29 · King's Indian Attack: French Variation The Soviet School ½-½ Boris Spassky vs Keres, Paul 1961 · URS-ch29 · Ruy Lopez: Closed The Soviet School ½-½ Boris Spassky vs Kholmov, Ratmir D 1961 · URS-ch29 · Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Möhring Variation The Soviet School 1-0 Boris Spassky vs Polugaevsky, Lev 1961 · URS-ch29 · Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation The Soviet School ½-½ Lein, Anatoly vs Boris Spassky 1961 · URS-ch29 · Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Modern Steinitz Defense The Soviet School ½-½ Boris Spassky vs Nezhmetdinov, Rashid 1961 · URS-ch29 · King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Panno Formation The Soviet School 0-1 Gurgenidze, Bukhuti vs Boris Spassky 1961 · URS-ch29 · Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Steinitz Deferred The Soviet School