The Game of Kings 03 Apr 1969, Thu The Gazette (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) Newspapers.com
“Oscar” for Boris Spassky
At the recent international at Palma, Majorca, chess journalists there voted Boris Spassky the player of the year for his outstanding successes in 1968, culminating in his victory in the Challengers tourney. He was awarded a small silver statuette. Following him in the voting were, V. Korchnoi, B. Larsen, T. Petrosian, R. Fischer, M. Tal, L. Portisch, V. Smyslov, P. Keres, D. Bronstein.
Former world champion, Mikhail Botvinnik, commenting recently on various leading players, has this to say about Spassky:
“Boris Spassky is an exceptionally sober player with enviable good health. He is a good psychologist, in that he is a sound judge of situations and of the balance of strength between himself and his opponent. He rarely gets into time trouble, and you cannot confuse him. Always in a happy and confident state of mind, he does everything equally well, and it is this combination of qualities that has enabled him to achieve outstanding successes.”
Spassky will begin his 24 game match with world champion, Tigran Petrosian, at the Variety Theatre, Moscow, on April 12.
The following win from his rival took place in the 1967 USSR Team Championship, and Spassky used it in his lecture-demonstration preceding his simultaneous exhibition at the NDG Community Centre here in the Fall of that year.
Boris Spassky vs Tigran V Petrosian
10th Soviet Team-ch final A (1967), Moscow URS, rd 3, Jul-30
French Defense: Classical. Burn Variation (C11) 1-0
