Soviet chess legend Boris Spassky, who lost ‘match of the century’, dies at 88
The Russian grandmaster was famously defeated by American Bobby Fischer in 1972, at the height of the Cold War
Soviet chess grandmaster Boris Spassky, who was famously defeated in the so-called match of the century at the height of the Cold War, has died aged 88, the Chess Federation of Russia said Thursday.
The federation called his death a “great loss to the country”, saying generations of chess players had learned from his matches.
One of the first to react was Soviet grandmaster Anatoly Karpov, who told Tass state news agency: “He was always one of my main idols”.
Spassky is best remembered for his duel with American Bobby Fischer in 1972, which was emblematic of the confrontation between East and West.
The Soviet chess giant lived a checkered life, flitting between top-level clashes against the best players of the era and periods of virtual disappearance.