I think this is the first Spassky topic I've seen. The guy was obviously great, and I welcome his more laid-back attitude to life - chess is seen far too much as a top-button done up, thick glasses and trousers up to your neck kind of game. Also, to whoever was talking about Leffe; I couldn't agree more, especially the helle variety.
Was Spassky good?
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He was a real class act on top of being one of the greatest players. He applauded Fischer's performace (his own defeat) after game 6 in '72? How many players have such a pure love of the game?
batgirl wrote:
Stockman's very wonderful chessbase link shows Boris Spassy with his third and current wife Marina.
Below is a related picture I'm fairly sure I got from Jerzy Gizycki's History of Chess.
Notice the date: Sept. 31, 1975. Does that strike anyone else as odd?
Maybe in the Soviet Union, September had 31 days.
Fischer wasn't the only one to take on the Soviet machine, it seems, and Boris Vasilievich did it from the inside. This is another reason why those of us who have philosophical differences with the Soviet Union can admire him
gabrielconroy wrote:
I think this is the first Spassky topic I've seen. The guy was obviously great, and I welcome his more laid-back attitude to life - chess is seen far too much as a top-button done up, thick glasses and trousers up to your neck kind of game. Also, to whoever was talking about Leffe; I couldn't agree more, especially the helle variety.
Hmm. A man who uses Gabriel Conroy as his psuedonym and who like Leffe beer. You are my soul brother.
batgirl wrote:
Stockman's very wonderful chessbase link shows Boris Spassy with his third and current wife Marina.
Below is a related picture I'm fairly sure I got from Jerzy Gizycki's History of Chess.
Notice the date: Sept. 31, 1975. Does that strike anyone else as odd?
After their divorce, Boris described himself and Larisa as "bishops of opposite colors." A somehow pleasingly melancholic take on the bishops.
greasyfingers wrote:
He was a real class act on top of being one of the greatest players. He applauded Fischer's performace (his own defeat) after game 6 in '72? How many players have such a pure love of the game?
Yes, this incident was very moving and a testament to Spassky also being one of the greatest "gentlemen" to ever play the game. I believe even Bobby was greatly moved by Spassky's gesture. Was there any other great player who was also such a gentleman/sportsman ? Maybe Keres ? Any other candidates ?
Reb wrote:
greasyfingers wrote:
He was a real class act on top of being one of the greatest players. He applauded Fischer's performace (his own defeat) after game 6 in '72? How many players have such a pure love of the game?
Yes, this incident was very moving and a testament to Spassky also being one of the greatest "gentlemen" to ever play the game. I believe even Bobby was greatly moved by Spassky's gesture. Was there any other great player who was also such a gentleman/sportsman ? Maybe Keres ? Any other candidates ?
Vlastimil Hort is not quite in Spassky's league as a player, but I think Hort's decision to use one of his own sick days so that Spassky could recover rather than making Spassky forfeit the game or play sick is a testament to Hort's character.
spassky was world champion if thats not good what is?
Spassky was a great master. He was good at both the attack and defense, but for some reason is not mentioned as much on people's top ten lists. He was a very strong player in his own right, and the fact that he became World Champion should speak for itself.
I think you guys overrate Fischer a little. Ever heard of Tigran Petrosian? To my mind, Petrosian was the true star of that time.
Irresistible Force vs. Immovable Object +5 -1 =3 1971
Daniel3 wrote:
Spassky was a great master. He was good at both the attack and defense, but for some reason is not mentioned as much on people's top ten lists. He was a very strong player in his own right, and the fact that he became World Champion should speak for itself.
I think you guys overrate Fischer a little. Ever heard of Tigran Petrosian? To my mind, Petrosian was the true star of that time.
Ever heard what Fischer did to Petrosian in 1971 ?! LOL
Look at the WC 1972 - Larsen gave him one loss in the Interzonal (after which Fischer demolished him 6-0) and Petrosian won one game off him in a +5 =3 -1 performance by Fischer, another hugely comprehensive win. Spassky only lost 7 games to Fischer out of 21, and he managed to win two (and one by default). To draw so many games against the rampaging Fischer and to even win a couple, he was doing brilliantly. He was easily the best around other than Fischer - and don't forget that he beat Fischer a couple of times before the championship.
In batgirl's recently posted family pic of spassky, i thought it was garry kasparov
Reb wrote:
Daniel3 wrote:
Spassky was a great master. He was good at both the attack and defense, but for some reason is not mentioned as much on people's top ten lists. He was a very strong player in his own right, and the fact that he became World Champion should speak for itself.
I think you guys overrate Fischer a little. Ever heard of Tigran Petrosian? To my mind, Petrosian was the true star of that time.
Ever heard what Fischer did to Petrosian in 1971 ?! LOL
Speaking of the devil(s), When Fischer first won the US title he made a visit to the USSR, and when he made it to Moscow he beelined it to the Central Chess Club. He just beat he stuffing out of everyone there at blitz. Finally they called in Petrosian, who was always among the best Soviet blitzers, and he finally put a stop to Fischer's rampage.
That's a funny look on Fischer's face. I wonder if he's saying to himself, "What the hell is he up to!"
Mar 4, 2009
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#37
SchuBomb, you're right - except that Spassky had beaten Fischer three times before the 1972 match, not twice. Incidentally, in Alexander's book on the match he makes the point that Spassky's ELO rating went up as a result of the match, not down. The ratings predicted that Spassky wouldn't do as well as he did.
crisy wrote:
SchuBomb, you're right - except that Spassky had beaten Fischer three times before the 1972 match, not twice. Incidentally, in Alexander's book on the match he makes the point that Spassky's ELO rating went up as a result of the match, not down. The ratings predicted that Spassky wouldn't do as well as he did.
I thought it was either two or three, which is why I said "a couple", which I know means two, but a little less definitely :)
And yes, also Fischer's Elo rating went down after the match against Spassky.
wow spassky used perfect attack and good pawn promotion.
Ricardo_Morro wrote:
In his book "The Golden Dozen," Irving Chernev rates Spassky the 9th greatest chessplayer of all time (though this was before Karpov and Kasparov). And don't forget that in that 1972 championship cycle of matches, Spassky was the only one to win even a single game against Fischer. Even the great Petrosian could not do it. Yet Spassky won several.
I have always admired Spassky for being what a great champion should be: urbane, cosmopolitan, showing sportsmanship, and knowing how to live as well as being a great player. Spassky, compared to Fischer, came out the real winner. Just look at the results.
Petrosian won game 2, ending the 20 game grandmaster winning streak. I believe the next three games were draws, then Fischer decided enough was enough and won the rest of them.
Spassky was a very good chess player - not flashy, just darn good.
like you said, spassky wasn't obsessive. he prefered a laid back approach. but hey, he was world champion. he can't have been that bad.