Boris Spassky (Part 2 of 2)

After winning the World Chess Championship in 1969 from Tigran Petrosian, it became very apparent that there was no “rest for the weary.” The great American chess player Bobby Fischer quickly emerged as the favorite to challenge Spassky for his crown, securing his spot by winning the 1970 Interzonal and the 1971 Candidates Tournament.

Up to this point, Spassky had never lost a single game against the American. He had won all three encounters with the white pieces and secured draws in their other two games with the black pieces. However, Spassky knew this was a different Fischer—one who, at one stage during qualification, had won 20 consecutive games. Determined to be prepared, Spassky diligently worked on his preparations and seemed ready for the challenge when he arrived at the battle site in Reykjavik, Iceland, on June 21, 1972.

The match began on July 11—after much controversy and a late arrival by the challenger—with Spassky playing the white pieces. The game appeared to be heading toward a draw when Fischer made one of the biggest blunders in world championship history. He played 29…Bxh2, trapping his own bishop after Spassky’s 30. g3. Amazingly, Fischer chose to continue fighting until move 56, when he finally resigned the hopeless game.

Following his Game 1 loss, Fischer complained about everything—from the cameras being too loud to the spectators being too close to the stage—and refused to play Game 2 until his demands were met. However, arbiter Lothar Schmid refused to concede to Fischer’s tantrums. When Fischer failed to appear for Game 2, he was forfeited. Spassky now led the match 2-0, but Fischer, furious, threatened to forfeit the match entirely and leave Iceland.

After much encouragement from his camp and minor concessions from the Russians and the arbiter, Fischer ultimately decided to continue. However, Game 3 was to be played in a back room, away from the stage, spectators, and cameras. Spassky begrudgingly agreed, only to suffer a resounding defeat in that game.

Fischer appeared invigorated by the victory, while Spassky, on the other hand, seemed weary and sluggish, likely worn down by the ongoing controversies. Even when the match was moved back to the main stage for Game 4, Boris never seemed the same after his Game 3 defeat. He managed a draw in Game 4 but suffered losses in Games 5 and 6. Fischer now had the match lead, and Spassky would only win one more game for the remainder of the contest. In the end, Spassky lost the match with a final score of 3 wins, 7 losses, and 11 draws.

Following his defeat, Spassky was scorned by his government. It seemed as though his chess career had been shattered in a single blow. However, after taking some time off, he returned to competition and participated in the 1973 USSR Championship, one of the strongest fields ever assembled. The tournament featured three former world champions (Tal, Smyslov, Petrosian), a future world champion (Karpov), and several past and future world championship contenders (Keres, Geller, Korchnoi, Taimanov, Beliavsky), along with other talented Soviet players.

Spassky battled at the top of the leaderboard alongside Karpov, Korchnoi, and Petrosian. In the end, he emerged victorious, winning his second USSR Championship—one of the greatest achievements of his career. He qualified for the 1974 Candidates Tournament but lost to the eventual champion, Karpov (+1 -4 =6). This marked the end of Spassky’s full-time chess career.

In 1976, Spassky moved to France and was granted citizenship in 1978. His old rival, Fischer, re-emerged from seclusion in 1992 for a rematch of their legendary “Match of the Century” in Sveti Stefan, Yugoslavia. Spassky was genuinely happy to see Bobby again, hoping the match would inspire Fischer to return to competitive chess. He believed that the game needed Fischer. However, despite putting up a valiant fight, Spassky lost by a marathon score of 5 wins, 10 losses, and 15 draws. Unfortunately, Fischer soon disappeared from the chess scene once more and never played another official game.

To this day, Spassky continues to serve as an ambassador for chess. His sportsmanship and dedication have inspired people around the world. His great rival, Bobby Fischer, passed away in January 2008 at the age of 64—oddly enough, spending his final days in Reykjavik, Iceland, the site of their legendary 1972 match.

GAME SOURCE & ANNOTATIONS: 1972 Chess World Championship (Larry Evans, Ken Smith), Notes by Larry Evans