HAPPY BIRTHDAY Boris!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Boris!

Boris Spassky (born in Leningrad 1937) . Turns 83 today ! He is 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.

[Tass]

 16 April 1966 USSR, MOSCOW.  Tigran Petrosian  and Boris Spassky before the match for World Championship at Variety Theatre.

The match was played as best of 24 games, with the champion (Petrosian) retaining the title in the event of a 12–12 tie.
While Petrosian retained the title with a 12–10 lead after Game 22, he and Spassky decided to play the final two games anyway..

[Event “Petrosian – Spassky World Championship Match”]
[Site “Moscow URS”]
[Date “1966.05.27”]
[Round “19”]
[Result “1-0”]
[White “Boris Spassky”]
[Black “Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian”]
[ECO “C11″French Defense Classical Steinitz”]
[PlyCount “135”]

  G/19      Spassky – Petrosian  1-0

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Nf3 c5 6. dxc5 Nc6 7. Bf4 Bxc5 8. Bd3 f6 9. exf6 Nxf6 10. O-O O-O 11. Ne5 Bd7 12. Nxc6 Bxc6 13. Qe2 Qe7 14. Rae1 Rae8 15. Bg3 a6 16. a3 Qf7 17. b4 Bd4 18. Be5 Bxe5 19. Qxe5 Nd7 20. Qg3 e5 21. f3 Qf4 22. Qxf4 Rxf4 23. Rf2 g6 24. Rd2 Nb6 25. Rde2 Nd7 26. Nd1 b5 27. c3 Rf7 28. Bc2 Kg7 29. Bb3 h5 30. Ne3 Nb6 31. Nc2 Nd7 32. Re3 h4 33. h3 Rf6 34. Nd4 Bb7 35. a4 Rd8 36. Ne2 bxa4 37. Bxa4 Nb6 38. Bb3 e4 39. Nd4 Kh6 40. Rd1 Rc8 41. fxe4 dxe4 42. Ne6 Nc4 43. Bxc4 Rxc4 44. Nc5 Rf7 45. Ra1 Kg5 46. Ra5 Kf4 47. Kf2 Bd5 48. Nb3 Ke5+ 49. Ke2 Rc6 50. Nd2 Ke6 51. Nxe4 Bc4+ 52. Kd2 Rd7+ 53. Kc2 Kf7 54. Re5 Kg7 55. Nd2 Bb5 56. Nf3 Ba4+ 57. Kb2 Rd1 58. R5e4 Rf1 59. Re1 Rxe1 60. Rxe1 Rf6 61. Re4 g5 62. Nxg5 Rf2+ 63. Ka3 Bc6 64. Rxh4 Bxg2 65. Ne4 Re2 66. Nc5 Bf1 67. Rf4 Re1 68. h4 1-0

[Event “Petrosian – Spassky World Championship Match”]
[Site “Moscow URS”]
[Date “1969.06.04”]
[Round “19”]
[Result “1-0”]
[White “Boris Spassky”]
[Black “Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian”]
[ECO “B94” Sicilian, Najdorf]
[PlyCount “47”]

    G/19     Spassky – Petrosian  1-0

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 Nbd7 7. Bc4 Qa5 8. Qd2 h6 9. Bxf6 Nxf6 10. O-O-O e6 11. Rhe1 Be7 12. f4 O-O 13. Bb3 Re8 14. Kb1 Bf8 15. g4 Nxg4 16. Qg2 Nf6 17. Rg1 Bd7 18. f5 Kh8 19. Rdf1 Qd8 20. fxe6 fxe6 21. e5 dxe5 22. Ne4 Nh5 23. Qg6 exd4 24. Ng5 1-0

Spassky won the Soviet Chess Championship twice outright (1961, 1973) .

Today the 10th World Chess Champion, legendary Soviet-Russian Grand Master Boris #Spassky turns 83! Our sincerest wishes to Boris Vasilievich! Happy Birthday! pic.twitter.com/iQ7vzrwXJ3

— Russia in RSA 🇷🇺 (@EmbassyofRussia) January 30, 2020