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Russian chess grandmaster Boris Spassky has died at the age of 88, International chess federation (FIDE) general director Emil Sutovsky told Reuters on Thursday.
Spassky, who took French nationality in 1978, was the 10th World Chess Champion, holding the title from 1969-1972, when he lost it to American Bobby Fischer in Reykjavik in a contest later dubbed as the "Match of the Century".
"A great personality has passed away, generations of chess players have studied and are studying his games and his work. This is a great loss for the country," Russian Chess Federation President Andrei Filatov told the TASS news agency.
Spassky had been the oldest living world chess champion.