World Chess Championship 1969 World Chess Championship 1969 The 1969 World Chess Championship was played between Tigran Petrosian and Boris Spassky in Moscow from April 14 to June 17, 1969. Spassky won. The 1967 Interzonal Tournament was played in Sousse, Tunisia in October and November. The first six placegetters qualified for the Candidates, along with Boris Spassky and Mikhail Tal who were seeded into the Candidates matches as finalists of the previous tournament. A major controversy occurred when Bobby Fischer, who was leading the tournament with seven wins and three draws in ten rounds, abandoned the event over a dispute with the organisers. Because
World Chess Championship 1972 Schmid informed Fischer and the audience that Spassky had resigned the game by telephone, making Fischer the winner of the match. Euwe expressed disappointment that Spassky had not arrived at the playing hall to congratulate Fischer in person. The final score was 12½–8½ in favor of Fischer, making him the eleventh World Champion. Spassky won three games (including the forfeit in game 2), Fischer won seven games, and there were eleven draws. Fischer's crushing victory made him an instant celebrity. Upon his return to New York, a Bobby Fischer Day was held. He was offered numerous product endorsement offers worth