Boris Spassky Quotes

“I also follow chess on the Internet, where Kasparov's site is very interesting.”

— Boris Spassky

“When you play Bobby, it is not a question if you win or lose. It is a question if you survive.”

— Boris Spassky

When I am in form, my style is a little bit stubborn, almost brutal. Sometimes I feel a great spirit of fight which drives me on.

— Boris Spassky

“Nowadays there is more dynamism in chess, modern players like to take the initiative. Usually they are poor defenders though.”

— Boris Spassky

“On the other hand, chess is a mass sport now and for chess organisers shorter time control is obviously more attractive. But I think that this control does not suit World Championship matches.”

— Boris Spassky

I don't want ever to be champion again.

— Boris Spassky

“We can compare classical chess and rapid chess with theatre and cinema - some actors don't like the latter and prefer to work in the theatre.”

— Boris Spassky

“Nowadays the dynamic element is more important in chess - players more often sacrifice material to obtain dynamic compensation.”

— Boris Spassky

In my country, at that time, being a champion of chess was like being a King. At that time I was a King - and when you are King you feel a lot of responsibility, but there is nobody there to help you.

— Boris Spassky

“We were like bishops of opposite color.”

— Boris Spassky

“The place of chess in the society is closely related to the attitude of young people towards our game.”

— Boris Spassky

“Nowadays it would be reasonable to have an annual world championship.”

— Boris Spassky

“Time control directly influences the quality of play.”

— Boris Spassky

“I think that the World Champion should try to defend the quality of play more than anyone else.”

— Boris Spassky

“I try to help developing junior chess. When I lived in USSR, I got a lot of free help from very good coaches - now I am trying to repay that debt.”

— Boris Spassky

“When I played Bobby Fischer, my opponent fought against organizations - the television producers and the match organizers. But he never fought against me personally. I lost to Bobby before the match because he was already stronger than I. He won normally.”

— Boris Spassky

“Recently I saw Kasparov and he looked to me as still young and potent champion.”

— Boris Spassky

“The Soviet Union was an exception, but even there chess players were not rich. Only Fischer changed that.”

— Boris Spassky

Nowadays young people have great choice of occupations, hobbies, etc, so chess is experiencing difficulties because of the high competition. Now it's hard to make living in chess, so our profession does attract young people.

— Boris Spassky

“Bobby Fischer has an enormous knowledge of chess and his familiarity with the chess literature of the USSR is immense.”

— Boris Spassky

“For example, computer defends well, but for humans its is harder to defend than attack, particularly with the modern time control.”

— Boris Spassky

“I don't play in tournaments, but I follow some.”

— Boris Spassky

“Which do I prefer? Sex or chess? It depends on the position.”

— Boris Spassky

A man who is willing to commit suicide has the initiative.

— Boris Spassky

“I still hope to kill Fischer”

— Boris Spassky

My forte was the middlegame. I had a good feeling for the critical moments of the play. This undoubtedly compensated for my lack of opening preparation and, possibly, not altogether perfect play in the endgame. In my games things often did not reach the endgame!

— Boris Spassky

“Often, in the Ruy Lopez, one must be patient, wait and carry on a lengthy and wearisome struggle.”

— Boris Spassky

“The shortcoming of hanging pawns is that they present a convenient target for attack. As the exchange of men proceeds, their potential strength lessens and during the endgame they turn out, as a rule, to be weak.”

— Boris Spassky

There is only one thing Fischer does in Chess without pleasure: to lose!

— Boris Spassky

“After I won the title, I was confronted with the real world. People do not behave naturally anymore - hypocrisy is everywhere.”

— Boris Spassky

“The computer age has arrived, and it influences everything: analysis, preparation, information. Now a different talent is required - the ability to synthesize ideas.”

— Boris Spassky