Russian chess grandmaster Boris Spassky, best known for his Cold War-era clash with American Bobby Fischer, passed away on Thursday at the age of 88, the Russian Chess Federation announced.
Spassky made his international chess debut in 1953 at the age of sixteen.
In 1969, at the age of 32, he won his only world title, defeating compatriot Tigran Petrosian with a score of 12.5 to 10.5.
Three years later, he lost to grandmaster Fischer with a score of 12.5 to 8.5 in the “Match of the Century,” held in Iceland during the height of the Cold War and seen as a duel between East and West.
Spassky, who held French nationality from 1982 to 2013, also had victories over other renowned grandmasters like Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov during his career.
Following a lost rematch against Fischer in 1992, he rarely played competitive chess.
“A great personality has departed; generations of chess players have studied his games and his work. It is a great loss for the country,” Andrei Filatov, President of the Russian Chess Federation, told TASS news agency.
