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Boris Spassky, USSR, 1969-72

Spassky learned chess at age five, and was a chess prodigy by age 11. His style of play was inventive and artistic, even then. His teachers taught him the importance of combinational play.

His early tournament play was quite successful. His game progressed at a swift, steady pace. In 1955, while still a teenager, he tied for the Soviet chess title, and qualified for the Candidate matches to the world title.

In 1968 he fought through an incredibly tough contingent of players(Geller, Larsen, and Korchnoi) for the right to play Petrosian, the world champion, who he met over the board a year later. He won their match by a two-point margin.

For awhile, Spassky seemed to be a champion in good form. After his loss to Bobby Fischer in Reykjavik, however, he seemed to lose heart, and his play became spotty at best. He still plays the occasional exhibition match.