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I've been looking at Boris' games in the King's Gambit. To me, four really stand out, and I will explain why! Reasons: Strength of opposition, importance of occasion, high quality and originality of play, and willingness to accept risk!!!!
1) W vs GM Bobby Fischer, Mar del Plata 1960: This was their first meeting, with Fischer nearly 17 and already three times U.S. champion, having beaten Spassky's 1955 record as history's youngest GM (age 15 vs 18) and world title candidate. Spassky was then 23 years old. They apparently became friends at this time, in spite of East-West tensions. Spassky won the game. The two tied for first place in the tournament. Fischer still chose to include it in his incredible 1969 book 'My 60 Memorable Games', as one of three losses there. Fischer then subjected the King's Gambit to deep analysis, and published in 1961 his claimed 'refutation': 3...d6. That line is now named for him. Fischer later himself played the King's Gambit in three tournament games in the 1960s, with the 3.Bc4 line (not 3.Nf3), and won all three.
2) W vs GM David Bronstein, 27th Soviet Championship, Leningrad 1960: This is noteworthy especially because Bronstein himself played the King's Gambit many times in high-level competition, with very good success! Spassky won the game, and it was dramatized in the 1963 film 'From Russia With Love', with fictional opponents. Bronstein had also been in the field at Mar del Plata, finishing third, with draws against both Bobby and Boris.
3) W vs GM Anatoly Karpov, Hamburg TV 1982. This was a quicker time control, G/60' with no increment, filmed for a West German TV series. Karpov was world champion at the time, having earlier defeated Spassky in a controversial 1974 Candidates match, on his way to the title, which he then won by default when Fischer refused to defend in 1975. Spassky won this game on time in a long endgame, in a winning position, Q + N vs Q, with Karpov about to lose his queen or get mated.
4) W vs GM Yasser Seirawan, Montpelier Candidates tournament 1985. Spassky, at age 48, and a full 29 years after his first appearance in a Candidates event (Amsterdam 1956), tries the King's Gambit against the 25-year-old American star. Spassky wins the game in convincing style with original play!!
I've decided to play the King's Gambit myself in competition soon, as my own small tribute to Boris!! It has been quite a few years for me, since the last time, and I have a good record with it. Boris was one of the favorite players for my late father Donald Dixon (1932-2014), and Dad taught me chess when I was seven years old, playing gambits frequently in our early games, as, he stated, a great way to learn chess!! I also became a Boris fan early on.
1) W vs GM Bobby Fischer, Mar del Plata 1960: This was their first meeting, with Fischer nearly 17 and already three times U.S. champion, having beaten Spassky's 1955 record as history's youngest GM (age 15 vs 18) and world title candidate. Spassky was then 23 years old. They apparently became friends at this time, in spite of East-West tensions. Spassky won the game. The two tied for first place in the tournament. Fischer still chose to include it in his incredible 1969 book 'My 60 Memorable Games', as one of three losses there. Fischer then subjected the King's Gambit to deep analysis, and published in 1961 his claimed 'refutation': 3...d6. That line is now named for him. Fischer later himself played the King's Gambit in three tournament games in the 1960s, with the 3.Bc4 line (not 3.Nf3), and won all three.
2) W vs GM David Bronstein, 27th Soviet Championship, Leningrad 1960: This is noteworthy especially because Bronstein himself played the King's Gambit many times in high-level competition, with very good success! Spassky won the game, and it was dramatized in the 1963 film 'From Russia With Love', with fictional opponents. Bronstein had also been in the field at Mar del Plata, finishing third, with draws against both Bobby and Boris.
3) W vs GM Anatoly Karpov, Hamburg TV 1982. This was a quicker time control, G/60' with no increment, filmed for a West German TV series. Karpov was world champion at the time, having earlier defeated Spassky in a controversial 1974 Candidates match, on his way to the title, which he then won by default when Fischer refused to defend in 1975. Spassky won this game on time in a long endgame, in a winning position, Q + N vs Q, with Karpov about to lose his queen or get mated.
4) W vs GM Yasser Seirawan, Montpelier Candidates tournament 1985. Spassky, at age 48, and a full 29 years after his first appearance in a Candidates event (Amsterdam 1956), tries the King's Gambit against the 25-year-old American star. Spassky wins the game in convincing style with original play!!
I've decided to play the King's Gambit myself in competition soon, as my own small tribute to Boris!! It has been quite a few years for me, since the last time, and I have a good record with it. Boris was one of the favorite players for my late father Donald Dixon (1932-2014), and Dad taught me chess when I was seven years old, playing gambits frequently in our early games, as, he stated, a great way to learn chess!! I also became a Boris fan early on.
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