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    Rivalry · 1 title event

    10th world champion · 1969–1972

    Boris Spassky

    v

    11th world champion · 1972–1975

    Bobby Fischer

    Boris Spassky v Bobby Fischer

    11

    Spassky wins

    28

    draws

    17

    Fischer wins

    56 recorded games, 1960–1992. Score 25–31 to Fischer. Source: chessgames.com

    Their title match

    YearWinnerScoreWhereFormat
    1972Bobby Fischer12½–8½ReykjavíkBest of 24

    How they compare

    SpasskyMeasureFischer
    1937Born1943
    3Years as champion3
    1 of 3Title events won1 of 2
    11Head-to-head wins17
    9Wins with White10
    2Wins with Black7
    2773 Jul 1969Peak rating2785 Jul 1972
    2796On today's scale2909
    +-20Lead over No. 2 at peak+125

    A star marks the better figure. Their peaks come from different rating systems (FIDE and Chessmetrics), so they aren't starred against each other. "On today's scale" and the lead are explained on the champions page.

    Trophy cabinets

    SpasskyHonourFischer
    1

    1969

    		World titles1

    1972

    2

    1965, 1968

    		Candidates1

    1971

    1

    1964*

    		Interzonals2

    1962, 1970

    –Blitz1

    1970†

    2

    1961, 1973

    		National8

    1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966

    1

    1955

    		Junior–
    6

    1962, 1964, 1966, 1968, 1970, 1974

    		Olympiad team–
    2

    1962, 1970

    		Olympiad board–
    2

    1957, 1973

    		European team–
    2

    1968, 1969

    		Oscars3

    1970, 1971, 1972

    Each year links to its source. * Shared title. † Held before FIDE's official series (blitz events of 1970, 1988 and 2000; the 2000 and 2002 World Cups). World championship titles are title events won or kept. Olympiad board golds are the best score on a board. Most of these events didn't exist before the 1920s.

    Their ratings over time

    Boris SpasskyBobby Fischer
    25002550260026502700275028001975198019851990

    Move over the chart to compare both ratings on any list.

    FIDE standard rating on each list (twice a year until 2000, then monthly from 2003). Each line ends at the player's last rating change: FIDE keeps an inactive player's rating on its lists. Sources: OlimpBase, FIDE.

    Decade by decade

    1960s2 – 2 – 0
    1970s4 – 11 – 7
    1990s5 – 15 – 10

    Spassky wins – draws – Fischer wins, per decade.

    Famous games between them

    Bobby Fischer v Boris Spassky, World Chess Championship 1972, game 6 · 1-0

    Fischer called it his best game of the match.

    Boris Spassky
    Bobby Fischer

    Start position

    1. 1.
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    5. 5.
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    25. 25.
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    28. 28.
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    30. 30.
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    35. 35.
    36. 36.
    37. 37.
    38. 38.
    39. 39.
    40. 40.
    41. 41.
    42. 1-0

    Arrow keys step through the moves; click any move to jump to it. Pieces by Colin M. L. Burnett (BSD licence).

    Every recorded game

    YearWhiteResultMovesEvent
    1960Spassky1-029Mar del Plata
    1966Spassky1-050Second Piatigorsky Cup
    1966Fischer½–½35Second Piatigorsky Cup
    1966Fischer½–½57Havana Olympiad Final-A
    1970Spassky1-039Siegen Olympiad Final-A
    1972Spassky1-056Spassky - Fischer World Championship Match
    1972Fischer0-10Spassky - Fischer World Championship Match
    1972Spassky0-141Spassky - Fischer World Championship Match
    1972Fischer½–½45Spassky - Fischer World Championship Match
    1972Spassky0-127Spassky - Fischer World Championship Match
    1972Fischer1-041Spassky - Fischer World Championship Match
    1972Spassky½–½49Spassky - Fischer World Championship Match
    1972Fischer1-037Spassky - Fischer World Championship Match
    1972Spassky½–½29Spassky - Fischer World Championship Match
    1972Fischer1-056Spassky - Fischer World Championship Match

    Every game between them in the chessgames.com database (checked 2026-11-04): classical, rapid, blitz and exhibition games together, as the database records them.

    Quick answers

    Who won more games, Boris Spassky or Bobby Fischer?

    In the 56 games between them in the chessgames.com database (1960–1992), Spassky won 11, Fischer won 17 and 28 were drawn: Fischer leads. The count includes every recorded game, not only classical ones.

    How many world championship matches did Spassky and Fischer play?

    1: 1972 (Fischer won, 12½–8½).

    All 18 rivalries·All 18 world champions