MOSCOW — Boris Spassky, the Soviet-era chess champion who famously lost his title to American Bobby Fischer in 1972, a match that symbolized Cold War tensions, has died in Moscow at age 88. The announcement was made Thursday.
The International Chess Federation, the sport’s governing body, announced the death of the former chess prodigy. The cause of death was not disclosed.
The organization described Spassky as “one of the greatest players of all time” on X, adding that he “left an indelible mark on the game.”
The 1972 match with Fischer, broadcast on television during the height of the Cold War, captivated the world and was dubbed the “Match of the Century.”
Fischer’s victory in Reykjavik, Iceland, marked the first time the U.S. had won the world chess title. Fischer, then 29 and from Brooklyn, New York, was considered a chess genius.
Fischer, who was known for his difficult personality, died in 2008. He relinquished his title after defeating Spassky by refusing to defend it.
Garry Kasparov, another former world champion, shared on X that Spassky “was always willing to befriend and mentor younger players, especially those of us who, like him, felt out of place in the Soviet system.”
Spassky moved to France in 1976.
The chess federation highlighted Spassky’s match with Fischer as “one of the most iconic” moments in chess history on its website.
Yugoslav grandmaster Svetozar Gligoric once said that Spassky’s strength “lay in his remarkable ability to adapt to the unique styles of his opponents,” according to the Washington Post.
The chess federation also referred to Spassky as “the first genuinely universal player,” noting that he “was not an opening specialist, but he excelled in complex and dynamic middlegame positions where he was in his element.”
Prior to Spassky’s loss, the Soviet Union had maintained an uninterrupted run of world chess championships for decades.
The *Post* reported that Spassky returned home to a chilly reception in the Soviet Union and became a national disappointment. He claimed he was barred from leaving the country, and his second marriage ended.
According to the *Washington Post*, Spassky was quoted in a 2022 World Chess Hall of Fame recollection of the Reykjavik match as saying, “I feel at home at the chessboard. Our chess kingdom does not have borders.”