Person in history
Boris Spassky
Boris Spassky, Russian chess grandmaster (born 1937)
Life at a glance
- Died
- 2025 · February 27
Their story
Who they were
Boris Vasilyevich Spassky was a Soviet and Russian chess grandmaster who was the tenth World Chess Champion, holding the title from 1969 to 1972. Spassky played three world championship matches: he lost to Tigran Petrosian in 1966; defeated Petrosian in 1969 to become world champion; then lost to Bobby Fischer in a famous match in 1972.
Early life
Early life Boris Vasilyevich Spassky was born in Leningrad , into a Russian family, on January 30, 1937. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] His father, Vasili Vladimirovich Spassky, served in the military. [ 3 ] He came from the family of Vladimir Alexandrovich Spassky, a prominent Russian Orthodox priest of the Kursk Governorate , later a protoiereus of the Russian Church (since 1916), as well as a State Duma deputy (1912–1917) and an active member of the Union of the Russian People . [ 4 ] [ 5 ]
Path and career
Career As a statistic encompassing all of the games of his career, Spassky's most-played openings with both the White and Black pieces were the Sicilian Defence and the Ruy Lopez . [ 1 ] Spassky beat six undisputed World Champions at least twice (not necessarily while they were reigning): Vasily Smyslov , Mikhail Tal , Tigran Petrosian , Bobby Fischer , Anatoly Karpov , and Garry Kasparov . [ citation needed ] Young grandmaster Spassky in 1956 Spassky made his international debut in 1953,
Why this date
Boris Spassky appears on our February 27 calendar for 2025 as a death entry.
Sources
Cite this page
“Boris Spassky”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/people/boris-spassky, accessed October 28, 2026.
Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.
Questions about Boris Spassky
When did Boris Spassky die?
February 27 2025.
Who else was born on this day?
The date page lists everyone we hold for that calendar day.
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