Editing Boris Spassky (section)

===Young grandmaster===
[[File:Boris Spasski (1956) - corrected.jpg|thumb|upright=0.90|right|Spassky in 1956]]
Spassky made his international debut in 1953, aged sixteen, in [[Bucharest]], [[Romania]], finishing tied for fourth place with [[Laszlo Szabo (chess player)|Laszlo Szabo]] on 12/19, an event won by his trainer, [[Alexander Tolush]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Bucharest_1953/25016|title=Bucharest 1953|website=365Chess.com|access-date=October 20, 2013|archive-date=June 21, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150621223020/http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Bucharest_1953/25016|url-status=live}}</ref> At Bucharest he defeated [[Vasily Smyslov]], who challenged for the World Championship the following year. In the same year, Spassky was awarded the title of [[International Master]] by [[FIDE]] at its congress in Schaffhausen, Switzerland.<ref>{{cite news|title=FIDE Regulates Future Events|work=[[Chess Life]]|volume=VIII|number=4|date=October 20, 1953}}</ref> In his first attempt at the [[USSR Chess Championship|Soviet Championship]] final, the 22nd in the series, held in Moscow 1955, Spassky tied for third place with 11½/19,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/URS-ch22_1955/25191|title=URS-ch22 1955|website=365Chess.com|access-date=October 20, 2013|archive-date=June 21, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150621222627/http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/URS-ch22_1955/25191|url-status=live}}</ref> after Smyslov and [[Efim Geller]], which was sufficient to qualify him for the [[Gothenburg]] [[Interzonal]] later that year.{{Cn|date=February 2025}}

The same year, he won the [[World Junior Chess Championship]] held at [[Antwerp]], [[Belgium]], scoring 6/7 to qualify for the final,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Wch_U20_prel-A_1955/25201 |title=Wch U20 prel-A 1955 – 365Chess.com Tournaments |publisher=365chess.com |access-date=October 20, 2013 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304044338/http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Wch_U20_prel-A_1955/25201 |url-status=live }}</ref> then 8/9 in the final to win by a full point over [[Edmar Mednis]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Wch_U20_final-A_1955/25199|title=Wch U20 final-A 1955|website=365Chess.com|access-date=October 20, 2013|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054340/http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Wch_U20_final-A_1955/25199|url-status=live}}</ref> Spassky competed for the [[Lokomotiv (sports society)|Lokomotiv]] [[Voluntary Sports Societies of the USSR|Voluntary Sports Society]].{{Cn|date=February 2025}}

By sharing seventh place with 11/20 at Gothenburg,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Gothenburg_Interzonal_1955/25212|title=Gothenburg Interzonal 1955|website=365Chess.com|access-date=October 20, 2013|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304002331/http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Gothenburg_Interzonal_1955/25212|url-status=live}}</ref> Spassky qualified for the 1956 [[Candidates' Tournament]], held in [[Amsterdam]], automatically gaining the grandmaster title, and was then the youngest to hold the title. At Amsterdam, he tied for third place with four others in the ten-player field, scoring 9½/18.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Candidates_Tournament_1956/25235 |title=Candidates Tournament 1956 – 365Chess.com Tournaments |publisher=365chess.com |access-date=October 20, 2013 |archive-date=November 21, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151121180408/http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Candidates_Tournament_1956/25235 |url-status=live }}</ref> At the 23rd Soviet final, held in Leningrad in January–February 1956,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/urs-ch23_1956/25288|title=URS-ch23 1956|website=365Chess.com|access-date=October 20, 2013|archive-date=November 21, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151121184907/http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/urs-ch23_1956/25288|url-status=live}}</ref> Spassky shared first place on 11½/19, with [[Mark Taimanov]] and [[Yuri Averbakh]], but Taimanov won the subsequent playoff to become champion,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/URS-ch23_playoff-1pl_1956/25279|title=URS-ch23 playoff-1pl 1956|website=365Chess.com|access-date=October 20, 2013|archive-date=November 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151122001051/http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/URS-ch23_playoff-1pl_1956/25279|url-status=live}}</ref> defeating Spassky in both their games. Spassky then tied for first in a semifinal for the 24th Soviet championship, thereby qualifying.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/URS-ch_sf_1956/25277|title=URS-ch sf 1956|website=365Chess.com|access-date=October 20, 2013|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054003/http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/URS-ch_sf_1956/25277|url-status=live}}</ref>