Boris Spassky died, the Soìvietica legend of chess

The Soviet legend of chess, Boris Spassky, died at the age of 88. The news was communicated by the Russian Chess Federation. Born in Leningrado, in the then Soviet Union, on January 30, 1937, he became the tenth champion of the official world of chess in 1969. The 1972 Reykjavik challenge remains in history for the title of world champion with the American Bobby Fischer. The clash was considered the ‘match of the century’ also for the political implications related to the Cold War between the USA and the USSR.

“A great personality has disappeared, generations of chess players have studied and are studying his games and his work. This is a great loss for the country,” said the president of the Russian Scacchia Federation, Andrei Filatov, cited by Tass.