Boris Spassky   (World Chess Champion 1969 - 1972)  Boris Vasilievich Spassky  (also Spasskij;  Бори́с Васи́льевич Спа́сский ; born January 30, 1937) is a Soviet-French  chess  grandmaster. He was the tenth World Chess Champion, holding the title from 1969 to 1972. He is known as one of the greatest living chess players,