The chess grandmaster of Russia and the oldest living world chess champion Boris Spassky passed away at the age of 88. The General Director of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), Emil Sutovsky, announced the death of Spassky. Spassky, who acquired French citizenship in 1978, became the world chess champion between 1969-1972. In a match in Reykjavik known as the “Match of the Century” that caused a stir during the Cold War era, he lost his title to American Bobby Fischer. After winning the first two games, Spassky ultimately lost with a score of 12.5-8.5. However, after losing to Fischer in the sixth game, he showed great sportsmanship by applauding him. Former world champion Anatoly Karpov paid tribute to Spassky, whom he defeated in the semifinals of the Candidates Tournament in 1974, stating, “My idols in chess were José Capablanca and Boris Spassky. Beating Spassky was my greatest victory, and in a way, I overcame a threshold by beating my teacher.” Karpov emphasized that Spassky represented an era in chess. The President of the Russian Chess Federation, Andrei Filatov, described Spassky’s loss as a great tragedy, saying, “The games and contributions of Boris Spassky to chess will continue for generations. This is a great loss for our country.” The Executive Director of the Russian Chess Federation, Alexander Tkachev, also remarked on Spassky’s death, stating, “His death is a great loss for the chess world. He lived in Moscow and was in touch with his close circle. I knew him differently from the Spassky we know from books. Talking to him was always interesting; he was an incredible storyteller. Talking about his death is very difficult for me.” Spassky represented France in the Chess Olympiads in 1984, 1986, and 1988. In the 1990s, he was seen playing chess in the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris. In the early 2000s, Spassky’s health began to deteriorate, and in August 2012, he disappeared in Paris, only to reappear in Moscow in October. At that time, he stated, “Returning to Russia was my desire. My time in France had come to an end. It was time to begin a new phase. I realized it was time to go.”