Spassky: The World Champion To Make You Love Chess Again
I fell in love with chess all over again while reviewing games by the legendary Boris Spassky, who died last week
Last week I had a nightmare that someone close to me died. The next morning I woke up to the news that a great legend of the game, the 10th World Chess Champion, Boris Spassky (Jan 30, 1937 – Feb 27, 2025) died. I didn’t know him, sadly. And what I knew of his chess and his biography was mostly related to Bobby Fischer, and their historic 1972 World Championship match.
I saw some brilliant Spassky games over the years, but I did not pore over them in the way that I studied greats like Tal, Karpov, Polgar or Fischer. And that was a clear mistake. As I reviewed more of his games last week, I realize that Spassky would have made me fall in love with chess even harder than I did. I would have become addicted to his games.
FM Andy Lee’s beautifully written essay explores Spassky as an artist and a competitor.
In this piece, I want to draw your attention to a few gems from Spassky’s games, especially ones that revolve around one of my favorite themes: The Zap. What is a Zap, you say? You’d know the answer if you read Play Like a Champion (order it here!). A Zap is a checkmate threat. In GO, they call a similar concept “Atari”, which also sounds very cool1. The reason I want one word to describe a checkmate threat is simple. Tactics involving zaps are harder to see for most of us than tactics involving captures and checks. But the stakes are just as high, and sometimes higher. A single word would improve our zap vision.
Gem 1: Variation2 from Spassky - Geller, 1968: White to Move
Spoiler alert. While I often use footnotes to show solutions, in this case I’m deviating from that, because I really want everyone—even those who skim this article quickly— to see the beautiful move.
I’d expect many players to start by analyzing Qxg6+ or Qf7+ or maybe even e5. The marvelous solution, however, ends things right away.
Ng8!! with the crushing threat of Qe7#, thanks to the rook on c8 robbing the king of a key escape square. If 30…Kf8 Ne7! when Nxg6 and Qe7# are unstoppable.
Gem 2: Gilles Andruet3- Boris Spassky, Bundesliga, 1988
Another Spoiler Alert!
Once again, the solution is far too beautiful to relegate to footnotes.
28…. Qf3!
AHHHHH!! It’s a delicious zap!
Even after 29.gxf3, Nexf3+ 30. Kh1, and a final zap is required to end the show. 30…Bh3!
What a mind-blowingly beautiful sequence.
This next gem is from Spassky’s beloved win against David Bronstein in the 1960 Soviet Championship. This game is dear to many chess hearts, including the victor himself. As Peter Doggers writes in his chess dot com obituary:
“He named (this game) as one of his favorites and which was used in the opening scene of the 1963 James Bond film From Russia With Love.”
Gem 3: Variation from Spassky-Bronstein, 1960
Answer in footnotes4.
Another thing I love about Spassky’s games—and this one is a perfect example— is how modular they are. You can show basic tactics from them to brand new students of the game, while also using them for very advanced lessons or training exercises. This is a wonderful attribute about chess generally. But some players’ games, like Spassky’s, seem tailor made to show the beauty of chess to all levels.
Thanks to Spassky for reminding me how beautiful chess is. Rest in Peace.
But this doesn’t faze me! I’m going to make zap happen!
Why confine ourselves to the variations that actually happened? So much of the beauty in chess is what almost happened. This particular variation arises when Black plays 27…Bxh6 instead of Kf7 in the stem game. https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1049394
Gilles Andruet was a French IM who was murdered, a sad story that may be a topic for a future post.
Qh7+!
18…Nxh7 19. Bb3+ Kh8 20. Ng6#
Astonishing to consider that Fischer was an American hero in 1972 and Spassky was the villain. It's hard to imagine more exemplary sportsmanship than what Spassky displayed in that match. I get upset when I lose a completely meaningless online game. Spassky literally applauded his opponent after losing a critical game in their world championship match.