Editing Boris Spassky (section)

===Challenger===
Spassky was considered an all-rounder on the chess board, and his adaptable "universal style" was a distinct advantage in beating many top grandmasters. In the 1965 cycle, he beat [[Paul Keres]] in the quarterfinal round at [[Riga]] 1965 with careful strategy, triumphing in the last game to win 6–4 (+4−2=4).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Candidates_qf3_1965/26131|title=Candidates qf3 1965|website=365Chess.com|access-date=October 20, 2013|archive-date=March 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303225925/http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Candidates_qf3_1965/26131|url-status=live}}</ref> Also at Riga, he defeated [[Efim Geller]] with mating attacks, winning by 5½–2½ (+3−0=5).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Candidates_sf2_1965/26133|title=Candidates sf2 1965|website=365Chess.com|access-date=October 20, 2013|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053215/http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Candidates_sf2_1965/26133|url-status=live}}</ref> Then, in his Candidates' Final match against [[Mikhail Tal]] at [[Tbilisi]] 1965, Spassky often managed to steer play into quieter positions, either avoiding former champion Tal's tactical strength, or exacting too high a price for complications. Though losing the first game, he won by 7–4 (+4−1=6).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Candidates_final_1965/26218|title=Candidates final 1965|website=365Chess.com|date=November 1, 1965|access-date=October 20, 2013|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304055145/http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Candidates_final_1965/26218|url-status=live}}</ref>

Spassky won two tournaments in the run-up to the final. He shared first at the third [[Chigorin Memorial]] in [[Sochi]], in 1965 with [[Wolfgang Unzicker]] on 10½/15,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Chigorin_mem_1965/26137 |title=Chigorin mem 1965 |website=365Chess.com |access-date=October 20, 2013 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304060059/http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Chigorin_mem_1965/26137 |url-status=live }}</ref> then tied for first at [[Hastings International Chess Congress|Hastings]] 1965–66 with [[Wolfgang Uhlmann]] on 7½/9.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Hastings_6566_1965/26220|title=Hastings 6566 1965|website=365Chess.com|access-date=October 20, 2013|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053706/http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Hastings_6566_1965/26220|url-status=live}}</ref>

Spassky lost a keenly fought [[World Chess Championship 1966|match]] to Petrosian in Moscow, with three wins against Petrosian's four, with seventeen draws,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/World_Championship_26th_1966/26313|title=World Championship 26th 1966|website=365Chess.com|access-date=October 20, 2013|archive-date=March 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303220905/http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/World_Championship_26th_1966/26313|url-status=live}}</ref> though the last of his three victories came only in the twenty-third game, after Petrosian had ensured his retention of the title, the first outright match victory for a reigning champion since the latter of [[Alexander Alekhine|Alekhine's]] successful defences against [[Efim Bogoljubov|Bogoljubov]] in [[World Chess Championship 1934|1934]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/World_Championship_15th_1934/28301|title=World Championship 15th 1934|website=365Chess.com|access-date=October 20, 2013|archive-date=March 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303221816/http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/World_Championship_15th_1934/28301|url-status=live}}</ref> Spassky's first event after the title match was the fourth Chigorin Memorial, where he finished tied for fifth with [[Anatoly Lein]] as Korchnoi won.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Sochi_Chigorin_mem_04th_1966/26318 |title=Sochi Chigorin mem 04th 1966 |website=365Chess.com |access-date=October 20, 2013 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304055313/http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Sochi_Chigorin_mem_04th_1966/26318 |url-status=live }}</ref> Spassky then finished ahead of Petrosian and a super-class field at [[Santa Monica]] 1966 (the [[Piatigorsky Cup]]), with 11½/18, half a point ahead of [[Bobby Fischer]], as he overcame the American grandmaster's challenge after Fischer had scored 3½/9 in the first cycle of the event.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Piatigorsky-Cup_2nd_1966/26329|title=Piatigorsky-Cup 2nd 1966|website=365Chess.com|access-date=October 20, 2013|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054154/http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Piatigorsky-Cup_2nd_1966/26329|url-status=live}}</ref> Spassky also won at [[Corus chess tournament|Beverwijk]] 1967 with 11/15,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Hoogovens_1967/26410|title=Hoogovens 1967|website=365Chess.com|access-date=October 20, 2013|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304055021/http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Hoogovens_1967/26410|url-status=live}}</ref> one-half point ahead of [[Anatoly Lutikov]], and shared first place at Sochi 1967 on 10/15 with Krogius, [[Alexander Nikolayevich Zaitsev|Alexander Zaitsev]], [[Leonid Shamkovich]], and [[Vladimir Simagin]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Sochi_1967/26450|title=Sochi 1967|website=365Chess.com|access-date=October 20, 2013|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304055556/http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Sochi_1967/26450|url-status=live}}</ref>

As losing finalist in 1966, Spassky was automatically seeded into the next Candidates' cycle. In 1968, he faced Geller again, this time at [[Sukhumi]], and won by the same margin as in 1965 (5½–2½, +3−0=5).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Candidates_qf4_1968/26540|title=Candidates qf4 1968|website=365Chess.com|access-date=October 20, 2013|archive-date=March 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303222847/http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Candidates_qf4_1968/26540|url-status=live}}</ref> He next met [[Bent Larsen]] at [[Malmö]], and again won by the score of 5½–2½ after winning the first three games.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Candidates_sf2_1968/26541|title=Candidates sf2 1968|website=365Chess.com|access-date=October 20, 2013|archive-date=September 21, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921060943/http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Candidates_sf2_1968/26541|url-status=live}}</ref> The final was against his Leningrad rival [[Viktor Korchnoi|Korchnoi]] at [[Kiev]]<!--See WP:KIEV-->, and Spassky triumphed (+4−1=5),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Candidates_final_1968/26641|title=Candidates final 1968|website=365Chess.com|access-date=October 20, 2013|archive-date=September 21, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921061101/http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Candidates_final_1968/26641|url-status=live}}</ref> which earned him another [[World Chess Championship 1969|match with Petrosian]]. Spassky's final tournament appearance before the match came at Palma, where he shared second place (+10−1=6) with Larsen, a point behind Korchnoi.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Palma_de_Mallorca_1968/26648|title=Palma de Mallorca 1968|website=365Chess.com|access-date=October 20, 2013|archive-date=September 21, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921060946/http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Palma_de_Mallorca_1968/26648|url-status=live}}</ref> Spassky's flexibility of style was the key to victory over Petrosian, by 12½–10½, with the site again being Moscow.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/World_Championship_27th_1969/26812|title=World Championship 27th 1969|website=365Chess.com|access-date=October 20, 2013|archive-date=September 21, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921060857/http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/World_Championship_27th_1969/26812|url-status=live}}</ref>