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
½-½ Boris Spassky vs Drimer, Dolfi 1957 · WchT U26 · Queen's Gambit Declined: Tartakower Defense ⚙ Analysed The Soviet School 1-0 Boris Spassky vs Sederborg 1957 · WchT U26 · Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Wormald Attack ⚙ Analysed The Soviet School 0-1 Kozma, Julius vs Boris Spassky 1957 · WchT U26 · Benoni Defense: Knight's Tour Variation ⚙ Analysed The Soviet School ½-½ Palmason, Gundmundur vs Boris Spassky 1957 · WchT U26 · Benoni Defense: Knight's Tour Variation ⚙ Analysed The Soviet School ½-½ Boris Spassky vs Kozma, Julius 1957 · EU-chT · Ruy Lopez: Closed, Worrall Attack, Delayed Castling Line The Soviet School 0-1 Lehmann, Heinz Dr vs Boris Spassky 1957 · EU-chT · Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Dyckhoff Variation The Soviet School ½-½ Trifunovic, Petar vs Boris Spassky 1957 · EU-chT · Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Gligoric System, Exchange Variation The Soviet School 1-0 Boris Spassky vs Lehmann, Heinz Dr 1957 · EU-chT · Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Endgame Variation The Soviet School ½-½ Boris Spassky vs Fuderer, Andrija 1957 · EU-chT · Ruy Lopez: Closed, Karpov Variation The Soviet School ½-½ Bykov, Vladimir vs Boris Spassky 1957 · Leningrad-ch · Indian Defense: Anti-Nimzo-Indian The Soviet School ½-½ Boris Spassky vs Nikitin, Aleksander S 1957 · Leningrad-ch · Nimzo-Indian Defense: Reshevsky Variation The Soviet School 1-0 Boris Spassky vs Keres, Paul 1957 · URS-ch24 · Nimzo-Indian Defense: Leningrad Variation, Benoni Defense The Soviet School 1-0 Boris Spassky vs Gurgenidze, Bukhuti 1957 · URS-ch24 · Nimzo-Indian Defense: Reshevsky Variation The Soviet School 0-1 Boris Spassky vs Mikhail Tal 1958 · URS-ch25 · Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation The Soviet School ½-½ Bannik, Anatoly vs Boris Spassky 1958 · URS-ch25 · Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation, with d6 The Soviet School 0-1 Bronstein, David I vs Boris Spassky 1958 · URS-ch25 · Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Gligoric System, Exchange Variation The Soviet School ½-½ Averbakh, Yuri L vs Boris Spassky 1958 · URS-ch25 · Dutch Defense: Leningrad Variation, Matulovic Variation The Soviet School 0-1 Furman, Semen Abramovich vs Boris Spassky 1958 · URS-ch25 · Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation, Positional Variation The Soviet School ½-½ Boris Spassky vs Boleslavsky, Isaak 1958 · URS-ch25 · Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Classical Variation The Soviet School 1-0 Boris Spassky vs Borisenko, Georgy K 1958 · URS-ch25 · Slav Defense: Geller Gambit The Soviet School ½-½ Boris Spassky vs Kortschnoj, Viktor 1958 · URS-ch25 · French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation The Soviet School 1-0 Boris Spassky vs Krogius, Nikolai V 1958 · URS-ch25 · Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Gligoric System, Bernstein Defense The Soviet School ½-½ Boris Spassky vs Petrosian, Tigran V 1958 · URS-ch25 · Italian Game: Classical Variation The Soviet School 1-0 Boris Spassky vs Polugaevsky, Lev 1958 · URS-ch25 · Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation The Soviet School