MOSCOW, Feb 28 (Bernama-TASS) -- Boris Spassky, the 10th World Chess Champion, has died at the age of 88 in Moscow, the Russian News Agency (TASS) reported.
Russian Chess Federation President Andrey Filatov confirmed the matter to TASS.
"A great personality has passed away. Generations of chess players have learned and are learning chess from his games and work. It is a great loss for the country. My condolences to his family and friends. Eternal memory," Filatov said.
Spassky won the World Championship title in 1969. He defeated Tigran Petrosian in a match in Moscow. In 1972, Spassky failed to defend the title, losing to the American Bobby Fischer in Reykjavik.
In the same year, the chess grandmaster emigrated to France and played in the World Chess Olympiads three times for that country. In the 2000s, Spassky was involved in popularising chess in Russia, travelling extensively throughout the country and opening chess schools and clubs.
He returned to Russia in 2012 and was granted Russian citizenship in 2013.
-- BERNAMA-TASS
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