Boris Spassky (Any views)

heh, interesting idea, to say the least. albeit, kinda dangerous to be a hitler supporter in soviet russia back in the 60s. albeit, russians did also have a dislike for jews eve before that anyhow.

When he was in his sixties (he was 68 in 2005, when the letter was signed)

“kinda dangerous to be a hitler supporter in soviet russia back in the 60s”

Spassky was certainly never a Hitler supporter either in the 1960s or his 60s… However, he wasn’t the only one to be affected by antisemitism.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisemitism_in_the_Soviet_Union

The genius text on the subject is Vysotsky’s Anti-Semites:

https://wysotsky.com/1033.htm?480

And yes, you certainly didn't need to be a Hitler supporter to be an antisemite in Russia, whatever the era.

Elroch: Spassky's mother was not Jewish, that's an unsubstantiated rumour (just like Smyslov, who was said to have had a Jewish grandmother, which wouldn't make him a Jew according to the strict interpretation, unless we're talking about his maternal grandmother – anyway Smyslov himself denied it). It's unclear to me how that rumour came about, because Spassky's grandmother was a peasant in the St Petersburg region. Jews were allowed to buy and work the land, but only in the provinces.

Not sure if it is authentic but I read that those rumours came from Soviet Union's own press. Upon Korchnoi defected, there were wide allegations in the west about Soviet Union being anti-semite and that was why, they alleged, Korchnoi was unable to advance his chess into the highest levels. The narration goes, the Soviet press responded by highlighting Botwinnik, Spassky and Smyslov being a Soviet Jew and still having become world champion.  There, Smyslov and Spassky was described as being jew due to maternal lineage.

Not sure if all of these really happened, I read them in 1 account I do not recall now.

+ There was a site named "jewornotjew{dot}com" or something like that. There, Spassky was again narrated to have a Jewish mother but the site labeled him as "barely a Jew." while they disqualified Bobby from Jewness.

EDIT:

Turns out I recalled it wrongly regarding the website. Here is the profile of Spassky from that site: http://www.jewornotjew.com/profile.jsp?ID=864 There, the verdict is that Spassky is not a jew. The site claims that Spassky himself denied that his mother was a Jew.

Bobby on the other hand is labelled as "Barely a Jew"

Korchnoi wrote in one of his books that when he turned 16, he asked the official who issued him his first passport to list his ethnicity as Jewish, but when he got home, his Jewish stepmother made a huge scene, screamed at him and then somehow convinced the official to change the listed ethnicity to Russian.

Yuri Averbakh also did a similar thing (asked to be listed as Russian), but on his own accord, following an advice of a Sports Committee official.

Spassky is one of my favorite players ever. As already mentioned in other posts: fabulous fighting chess, stellar sportsmanship, true gentleman. An all-around class act. If you have the chance, check out Yasser Seirawn's book "Chess Duels", where Yasser talks about his games with various former World Champs. His chapter on Spassky is great reading. Spassky is definitely one of my chess heros.  

Boris Spassky played the Tartakower Defence against c4 and had never lost!!

In game 6 against Bobby , Fischer indeed played c4

At move 14 Boris played a6. Was this the moment the momentum shifted in the world championship.

Geller had told Boris previously that he had won playing Qb7 in this position but Boris apparently “ forgot”??

Timman v. Geller (Hilversum, 1973) where Geller proved his theory at move 14 with black.

Geller advised Boris previously in practice that a6 was an inferior move with black but Boris “ forgot”.

May Boris rest in peace. Even though he left competitive chess before many of us were even born, but he was an undeniable chess King deserving a solid place in all time world top 10 chess player. He was a true gentleman, a player who put manners before anything; a player who left this physical realm, and yet his games still astonish and teach us today.

"Karpov once said that in chess there are no ex-World Champions; there are only World Champions. For example, we never say ‘ex-Olympic Champion’. This title is awarded for life. How can we, for instance, call Alekhine ‘ex-World Champion’ if he died undefeated? And all the other chess champions are chess kings for ever…" - Boris Vasilievich Spassky.

May the King rest in peace.

well said. Bravo!!……

Spassky was a universal player. One writer said that Spassky was not the best opening player in the world, the best middle game player in the world, or the best endgame player in the world. But he played all aspects of the game well and he was a very deserving champion.

One of my favorite Spassky games was his win with Black against Larsen in the 1970 Match: USSR Versus the Rest of the World.

The movie, Pawn Sacrifice, portrayed Spassky as a gentleman who wanted the Fischer match to continue, and so he did not agree with the Soviet team that wanted to get Fischer to forfeit. Gligoric’s book on the match said that, when Spassky resigned in Game 6, he stood up and joined the audience in applauding Fischer.

A great sportsman.

Can I play you

“should” never happened.

history tells the true story.

rip

Fischer was the better player, with very little dispute. It is right for the best player to be world champion (even though Carlsen's lack of enthusiasm for a fourth time.

Which makes me think. I believe Carlsen's three successful defenses of the title puts him in an exclusive club with Kasparov (who also got bored of the routine of defenses but in a different way. Although Kasparov-Short was not a FIDE world championship match, it was a match between the two players who were due to play a FIDE world championship match, so perhaps Kasparov should get the nod for having the most stamina in the role of world champion).