Boris Spassky Boris Spassky Boris Vasilievich Spassky (; born January 30, 1937) is a Russian chess grandmaster. He was 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. Spassky won the Soviet Chess Championship twice outright (1961, 1973), and twice lost in playoffs (1956, 1963), after tying for first place during the event proper. He was a World Chess Championship candidate on seven occasions (1956, 1965, 1968,
Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess and has achieved some degree of recognition in popular culture. Grandmaster Maurice Ashley has said that this was his first chess book, and it is referenced in Janet Fitch's novel "White Oleander". Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess is a chess puzzle book written by Bobby Fischer and co-authored by Stuart Margulies and Don Mosenfelder, originally published in 1966. It is believed to be the best-selling chess book of all time, with over one million copies sold. The book is intended for beginners and uses a programmed learning approach, permitting readers to go back and retry each question