[News] RIP Boris Spassky

L

Lenny Rider

Well-known member

Sep 15, 2010

6,300

• Feb 28, 2025

• #1

One for the teenagers.

Former Russian Chess Grandmaster whose 1972 World Chess Final against American Bobby Fischer was turned into the chess version of the Cold War, receiving global coverage, John Craven was all over it on Newsround.

Check Mate, sadly

RIP

 

G

Gwylan

Well-known member

Jul 5, 2003

32,029

Uffern

• Feb 28, 2025

• #2

I mentioned this on another group. In 1972, Spassky was seen as the Russian baddie against the hero of the west, Fischer. As it turned out, Boris was revealed as a pretty decent bloke, mentoring a new generation of players while Fischer turned into a raving maniac who wouldn't have been out of place on GB News - a sort of Matt Le Tissier of the chess board.

What a turnaround - RIP indeed

 

Ooh it’s a corner

Well-known member

Aug 28, 2016

5,848

Coventry/Galway

• Feb 28, 2025

• #3

I recall at the time that their match(es) was(were) genuinely big news and helped bring chess a lot of publicity. RIP

 

jcdenton08

Joel Veltman Fan Club

NSC Patron

Oct 17, 2008

16,343

• Feb 28, 2025

• #4

Retold in the musical “Chess”, using expy characters. Both real life players were really interesting blokes (the show’s story is a mess, but there are some good songs). Fischer was a complete and total knob

 

Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's Tackle

NSC Patron

Oct 8, 2003

58,681

Faversham

• Feb 28, 2025

• #5

A song about him and his protagonist. Sort of.