Editing Boris Spassky (section)

==Later years and death==
[[File:Boris Spasski 2.jpg|thumb|Spassky in France in 2009]]
On October 1, 2006, Spassky suffered a [[minor stroke]] during a chess lecture in San Francisco.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-10-09 |title=Boris Spassky recovering from minor stroke |url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/boris-spaky-recovering-from-minor-stroke/3 |access-date=2025-03-01 |website=Chess News |language=en}}</ref> In his first major post-stroke play, he drew a six-game [[rapid chess|rapid]] match with Hungarian Grandmaster [[Lajos Portisch]] in April 2007.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-04-20 |title=Lajos Portisch vs Boris Spassky: 3-3 |url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/lajos-portisch-vs-boris-spaky-3-3 |access-date=2025-03-01 |website=Chess News |language=en}}</ref>

On March 27, 2010, at 73 years old, he became the oldest surviving former World Chess Champion following the death of [[Vasily Smyslov]].<ref>{{cite web |title = Vasily Smyslov |url = https://chess24.com/en/read/players/vasily-smyslov |publisher = Chess24 |access-date = December 11, 2016 |archive-date = December 20, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161220103201/https://chess24.com/en/read/players/vasily-smyslov |url-status = live }}</ref>

On September 23, 2010, [[ChessBase]] reported that Spassky had suffered a more serious stroke that had left him paralysed on his left side.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=6692 |title=Chess News – Boris Spassky in grave condition |date=September 23, 2010 |publisher=ChessBase.com |access-date=November 12, 2011 |archive-date=November 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111118182803/http://chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=6692 |url-status=live }}</ref> After that he returned to France for a long rehabilitation programme.<ref>{{cite web |author=mishanp on |url=http://www.chessintranslation.com/2010/11/bits-and-pieces-1/ |title=Bits and Pieces #1 |publisher=Chessintranslation.com |date=November 26, 2010 |access-date=November 12, 2011 |archive-date=November 29, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111129232255/http://www.chessintranslation.com/2010/11/bits-and-pieces-1/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On August 16, 2012, Spassky left France to return to Russia under disputed circumstances<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=8417 |title=Boris Spassky, fearing death, 'flees' to Russia |publisher=ChessBase.com |date=August 18, 2012 |access-date=August 19, 2012 |archive-date=August 22, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120822114428/http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=8417 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=8429 |title=Spassky's sister: help save my brother! |publisher=ChessBase.com |date=August 23, 2012 |access-date=August 31, 2012 |archive-date=August 26, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120826003617/http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=8429 |url-status=live }}</ref> and took up residence in an apartment in Moscow.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://en.chessbase.com/post/spaky-surfaces-on-ruia-1tv-s-tonight-show |title=Spassky surfaces – on Russia 1TV's Tonight Show |publisher=ChessBase / Chess News |date=January 30, 2013 |access-date=May 15, 2016 |archive-date=June 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604104236/http://en.chessbase.com/post/spaky-surfaces-on-ruia-1tv-s-tonight-show |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Colin |last=McGourty |url=https://chess24.com/en/read/news/boris-spassky-i-m-waging-a-war |title=Boris Spassky: "I'm waging a war" |publisher=Chess24 |date=March 4, 2016 |access-date=May 15, 2016 |archive-date=April 8, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408104934/https://chess24.com/en/read/news/boris-spassky-i-m-waging-a-war |url-status=live }}</ref>

On September 25, 2016, he made a public speech at the opening of the [[Tal Memorial]] tournament. He said he had "the very brightest memories" of Mikhail Tal and told an anecdote from the [[15th Chess Olympiad]] about Soviet analysis of an adjourned game between Fischer and Botvinnik. He was described by Chess24 as being 'sprightly'.<ref>{{cite web |title=Spassky stars as Mamedyarov crushes Tal blitz |url=https://chess24.com/en/read/news/spassky-stars-as-mamedyarov-crushes-tal-blitz |publisher=Chess24 |first=Colin |last=McGourty |access-date=December 11, 2016 |archive-date=December 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220103249/https://chess24.com/en/read/news/spassky-stars-as-mamedyarov-crushes-tal-blitz |url-status=live }}</ref>

Spassky died in Moscow on February 27, 2025, at the age of 88.<ref name="nytdeath">{{Cite web |last=McClain |first=Dylan Loeb |date=27 February 2025 |title=Boris Spassky, Chess Champion Who Lost 'Match of the Century,' Dies at 88 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/27/world/europe/boris-spassky-dead.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250228023530/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/27/world/europe/boris-spassky-dead.html |archive-date=28 February 2025 |website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Leonard|last=Barden|author-link=Leonard Barden|date=28 February 2025|title=Boris Spassky obituary|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/feb/28/boris-spassky-obituary|website=[[The Guardian]]|archive-url=https://archive.today/20250228172117/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/feb/28/boris-spassky-obituary|archive-date=28 February 2025|url-status=live}}</ref>