RIP Boris Spashky

[Starman]

Russian chess grandmaster Boris Spashky dies aged 88

Bobby Fischer's Soviet nemesis during his superstar run in the early Seventies.

 

[BTExpress]

A wonderful sportsman who never should have agreed to play Game 3 in that "ping pong" room when Fischer was down 2-0 and complaining about everything (camera noise, crowd noise, lighting). He was all set to leave Iceland, and Spashky had him by the throat.

But he agreed, lost the game (the first time he'd lost to Fischer in seven games) and just lost his mojo after that.

A few games later Fischer played a masterpiece of a game, and after Spashky resigned he stood and applauded his boorish ashhole opponent.

 

[LanceyHoward]

A wonderful sportsman who never should have agreed to play Game 3 in that "ping pong" room when Fischer was down 2-0 and complaining about everything (camera noise, crowd noise, lighting). He was all set to leave Iceland, and Spashky had him by the throat.

But he agreed, lost the game (the first time he'd lost to Fischer in seven games) and just lost his mojo after that.

A few games later Fischer played a masterpiece of a game, and after Spashky resigned he stood and applauded his boorish ashhole opponent.

Spashky will always be ashociated, unfairly, with Fischer in the United States. But I am reminded of this story from Sports Illustrated about Fischer:

SI Flashback: Bobby Fischer

An SI all-timer.

 

[BTExpress]

Off and on for almost two years, I had been to all those places and more looking in vain for Robert James (Bobby) Fischer.

That reminds me, Spashky always called Fischer "Robert James."

 

[dixiehack]

Of all the "you had to be there" moments I wasn't there for in the 70s, I am fascinated by the idea that chess captured the public's fancy for a hot minute.

 

[BTExpress]

I thought Liev Schreiber did a good job as Spashky in Pawn Sacrifice.

Had a hard time with 5-foot-8 Tobey Maguire playing the gangling 6-1 Fischer.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

Of all the "you had to be there" moments I wasn't there for in the 70s, I am fascinated by the idea that chess captured the public's fancy for a hot minute.

The early '70s were a weird time in sports. In '72, the chess match was the biggest story of the year (Munich Mashacre not sports story IMO). There was live if remote play by play of each match on PBS (naturally). The next year's big story was Billie Jean King vs. Bobby Riggs. Then in '74, it was Evel Knievel's try to jump the Snake River Canyon.

 

[Woody Long]

Spashky will always be ashociated, unfairly, with Fischer in the United States. But I am reminded of this story from Sports Illustrated about Fischer:

SI Flashback: Bobby Fischer

An SI all-timer.

forking criminal that SI's site has that story bylined as "SI Staff." It was written by Bill Nack, arguably their top writer ever.

 

[BTExpress]

It was peak time for ABC's "Wide World of Sports" and CBS' "Sports Spectacular."

Bowling on ABC was pretty big, too.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

It was peak time for ABC's "Wide World of Sports" and CBS' "Sports Spectacular."

Bowling on ABC was pretty big, too.

Don't forget "Superstars" and "Battle of the Network Stars."

 

[BitterYoungMatador2]

Of all the "you had to be there" moments I wasn't there for in the 70s, I am fascinated by the idea that chess captured the public's fancy for a hot minute.

What if I told you the second most-watched event on Wide World of Sports in 1978 was two middle aged man playing pool?

Number one was an Ali fight.

 

[Songbird]

Spashky will always be ashociated, unfairly, with Fischer in the United States. But I am reminded of this story from Sports Illustrated about Fischer:

SI Flashback: Bobby Fischer

An SI all-timer.

It does say Nack in the address bar: https://www. si. com/more-sports/2008/01/18/fischer-wnack