Boris Spassky is a chess grandmaster and Russian Orthodox Christian who was the world chess champion from 1969 to 1972, when he lost in a legendary world championship series of games against Bobby Fischer during the Cold War, considered the Match of the Century.
Contrary to the perception of many Americans who learned about this match from the media, Spassky had consummate sportsmanship as he accommodated petulant demands by Fischer throughout the contest. Spassky even erupted in an extraordinarily gracious applause at Fischer's brilliant victory over him in Game 6. Decades later, Spassky spoke out in defense of the bizarrely behaving Fischer when he was held by law enforcement in Japan in 2004, declaring:
| “ | I would not like to defend or justify Bobby Fischer. He is what he is. I am asking only for one thing. For mercy, charity. If for some reason it is impossible, I would like to ask you the following: Please correct the mistake of President François Mitterrand in 1992. Bobby and myself committed the same crime. Put sanctions against me also. Arrest me. And put me in the same cell with Bobby Fischer. And give us a chess set. | ” |
Spassky wrote a letter to President George W. Bush to request that United States not pursue charges against Fischer for playing a harmless game of chess in Yugoslavia in 1992, but Bush continued to attempt to extradite Fischer from Japan until Iceland granted Fischer clemency.
Political Views
Spassky explained his conservative political views as follows:
| “ | As for my views—I'm a Russian nationalist ...; for a nationalist God exists and nations that respect each other.
I'm a convinced monarchist, I remained a monarchist during the Soviet years and never tried to hide that. I believe that the greatness of Russia is connected to the activity of the national leaders represented by our tsars. What really makes me feel happy in modern Russia—churches come back to life. |
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