Boris spassky biography

After all, he claimed victory in a match with Soviet champion Mikhail Botvinnik at a simultaneous exhibition held in Ever since he began his chess career at ten years old, Boris has frequently trained daily with master-level coaches for multiple hours. Due to his exemplary skills, he was even commended by Botvinnik. The following year, he won the World Junior Chess Championship and earned the Grandmaster title, making him the youngest grandmaster at the time.

Throughout the late s and s, Spassky continued to improve his game, winning the USSR Chess Championship twice and and competing in several Candidates Tournaments. His style was marked by a rare versatility, as he excelled in all aspects of the game — openings, middle game, and endgame. This allowed him to adapt to different opponents and situations, making him a formidable competitor.

After all, he became the youngest Chess player from the Soviet region to reach the following milestones in his chess career: first category rank at ten years old, candidate master rank at eleven years old, and Soviet Master rank at fifteen years old. For more information on ratings, see the step-by-step guide on how to get a FIDE rating. At the time, he became the youngest Chess player to earn the Grandmaster title.

In addition, Boris is also known for beating six undefeated World Champions more than two times. Look no further! In this comprehensive biography, we delve into the fascinating story of one of the greatest chess players of all time. From his early beginnings to his rise to world champion status, this article explores the enduring legacy that Boris Spassky has left on the world of chess.

Join us as we uncover the captivating journey of a true chess master. His father, Vladimir Mikhailovich Spassky, was a notable Russian journalist and his mother, Ekaterina Petrovna Spasskaya, was a chemist. Childhood and Introduction to Chess Spassky learned how to play chess at the age of 5 from his older brother. At that event, he had 8 victorious games in a row.

Eventually, Spassky took 1st place. Now, he was looking forward to the matches. Keres, Geller, and Tal where Spassky returned the debt from were all defeated. The scores showed 12,5 to 11,5. But the battle was interesting only because Petrosian lost the 12th game. It made him lose some confidence. Thanks to the match, Spassky understood how to play against Petrosian.

Now he just needed to play another match with him. At the Candidates Tournament Boris was unbeatable once again. He played in it due to being a participant in the World Championship. At that event, Geller, Larsen, and Korchnoi were all defeated by Spassky. The match against Petrosian in looked very similar to their previous battle.

But from the opposite perspective. Boris won against Tigran with the scores 12,,5. Thus, he became the tenth player in history who got the World Champion title! Life after getting the title As often happens after achieving the desired goal, Spassky lost his motivation. Even Bondarevsky left him. While Boris Spassky was fighting with himself, American grandmaster Robert Fischer appeared on the scene.

He was winning all rivals one after another. Their match occurred in in Reykjavik. It gained popularity from the artistic perspective as well. This crisis coincided with the hard three final years of his first marriage before his divorce in , [21] the same year that he broke with his trainer Tolush. Spassky's failure to qualify for the Portoroz Interzonal came after a last-round defeat at the hands of Tal, in a nervy game in the Soviet championship, [23] held at Riga.

Spassky had the advantage for much of the game, but missed a difficult win after adjournment , then declined a draw. A win would have qualified Spassky for the Interzonal, and a draw would have ensured a share of fourth place with Yuri Averbakh , with qualification possible via a playoff. Spassky played on board one for the USSR at the 7th Student Olympiad in Leningrad, [29] where he won the silver, [30] but lost the gold to William Lombardy , also losing their individual encounter.

Title contender [ edit ] Spassky decided upon a switch in trainers, from the volatile attacker Tolush to the calmer strategist Igor Bondarevsky. This proved the key to his resurgence. With Bondarevsky, Spassky's style broadened and deepened, with poor results mostly banished, yet his fighting spirit was even enhanced. He added psychology and surprise to his quiver, and this proved enough to eventually propel him to the top.

Boris spassky biography

Challenger [ edit ] Spassky was considered an all-rounder on the chess board, and his adaptable "universal style" was a distinct advantage in beating many top grandmasters. While Spassky was undefeated and handed tournament victor Larsen one of his three losses, his fourteen draws kept him from seriously contending for first prize, as he came two points behind Larsen.

Championship match with Fischer [ edit ] Spassky's reign as world champion lasted for three years, as he lost to Fischer of the United States in in the World Chess Championship , [65] popularly known as the Match of the Century. Spassky accommodated many demands by Fischer, including moving the third game into a side room. The Fischer vs Spassky World championship was the most widely covered chess match in history, reported upon by mainstream media throughout the world.

Secretary of State Henry Kissinger spoke with Fischer urging him to play the match, and chess was at its apex. Going into the match, Fischer had never won a game from Spassky in five attempts, losing three. It has been suggested that Spassky's preparation was largely bypassed by Fischer, since Spassky and his team wrongly expected Fischer to always play 1.

The blunders committed by Spassky were incredible. In two games, for example, Spassky overlooked a one-move combination. In the first, he was compelled to resign immediately, and, in the other, he threw away all chances for a win. Fischer was also not in his best form. He made errors in a number of games. His play lacked brilliance, but his defense was excellent.