Boris Vasilyevich Spassky (born 30 January 1937) is a Russian chess grandmaster who ranks as the tenth World Chess Champion, serving in the position from 1969 to 1972. Spassky was well known for competing in the 1972 World Chess Championship against Bobby Fischer, a match that took place in Reykjavík, Iceland, and was televised worldwide. The competition was a high point in the Cold-War-era East-West rivalry, adding drama to what some call the greatest chess match in history. Fischer claimed the championship title at the conclusion.
Spassky was born in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) into an impoverished family. His father worked at a railway station while his mother was a school teacher. He excelled in chess at an early age and joined the Pioneers Palace chess school at the age of ten. Later, he attended the renowned Russian Chess School helmed by Mikhail Chigorin chess school.
His first major achievement in chess occurred in 1952 when he won the USSR Junior Championship at the age of 15. In 1955, he became an International Grandmaster after winning the World Junior Chess Championship (which he attended on a last-minute invitation). He was the youngest grandmaster at the time. Spassky's first attempt at the World Chess Championship was in 1966 against Tigran Petrosian, but he lost.
Spassky's style has been described as universal; he could play equally well in tactical slugfests or quiet positional maneuvering. He possessed a deep understanding of all phases of the game, knowledge of a wide array of openings, and showed exceptional endgame skills. After Bobby Fischer's withdrawal from chess in 1975, Spassky participated in the subsequent World Championship Candidates matches but without reaching the final.
Spassky defected to France in 1976, becoming a French citizen in 1978, and continued his chess career primarily in France and Spain. His last notable tournament was Linares in 1993, where he scored 4/11. In 2012, while visiting San Francisco, he suffered a minor stroke but recovered without severe complications. He currently resides in Moscow. Spassky has received high recognition for his contributions to chess, with the Russian Chess Federation awarding him the title of "Honoured Master of Sport of the USSR" in 1969, and "Merited Coach of Russia" in 2001.