1/30/2013 – You read about it last August: 75-year-old former World Champion fled from his house in Meudon near Paris and turned up in Moscow, with a harrowing story of "house arrest" in France and danger to his life. In October he appeared on Russian TV, looking frail and out of sorts. Spassky, who turned 76 today, appeared on a popular TV show, with short hair and in better shape and good spirits.
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Last weekend's Tonight Show (Сегодня
Вечером), a top Saturday programme
on the main Russian
TV Channel 1, was dedicated to the 75th Anniversary of Vladimir
Vysotsky, the Soviet singer, songwriter, poet, and actor whose career had
an immense and enduring effect on Russian culture. Vysotsky did a song on the
1972 Spassky-Fischer match, which was the reason why Boris Spassky was invited
by the popular television host Andrey Malakhov to appear on the show. together
with famous actresses and actors, including 1981 Oscar winner Vladimir Menshov.
In the following video of the show you need to jump forward to 64 min 30 sec
and run it until 69 min 45 sec. Our colleague Valery Golubenko has kindly made
an English language transcription of this segment, with assistance provided
by Steve Giddins:
Television host: Another song of Vladimir Vysotsky was written
under the impression of nationwide foreboding before the chess match between
Boris Spassky and Robert Fischer.
At this stage (64' 40") they play the chess song by Vladimir Vysotsky
During the song they show images of a very young Spassky...
... and the youthful super-talented grandmaster...
Then, 66 minutes into the segment: "And today in our studio the legendary
chess player, world chess champion from 1969 to 1972 years, Boris Spassky! Boris
Vassilievich, good evening! How do you feel about the song that Vysotsky dedicated
to you?"
Boris Spassky: I just listened to this song. I must say that
this song didn't impressed me at all. The real drama of our match touched me
so intensely, I felt all the small details. It seemed to me that this song...
[Television Host: ... over simplifies the situation?] Yes, in a manner of speaking...
Television Host: And did you manage to meet and touch base
with Vysotsky in person, and tell him that?
Boris Spassky: You know, to my great regret, I didn't manage
to get together with Vladimir Semyonovich, in spite of the fact that we were
both married to French women of Russian descent. It seemed that our paths should
have fatefully crossed, either in France or Russia [Voice Off: ...or in an airport],
but that wasn't to happened. Nevertheless, if I may say so, I was in a long-distance
friendship with Vladimir Semyonovich, ever since my student days, because I
followed him as a singer. Vladimir Semyonovich possessed the unique ability
to find a path to the heart of every his listener. I think this unique gift
brought him nationally acclaim. [Applause]
Television host: We have heard in more recent times that at
moments of great stress, Vladimir Semyonovich sought help from drink. And what
about you, as a chess player? Indeed, you also need to relax. I know how huge
stress you do experience before games...
Boris Spassky: I didn't experience any stress. I was sure
I could win this match.
Television host: So you didn't experience any insomnia or
something else? Iron nerves...
Boris Spassky: Yes, I was in quite good shape [applause].
Nevertheless I was crushed by Fischer in this match. So, the real hero of this
song is in fact Bobby Fischer, with whom I was on very friendly terms, by the
way. He was my friend.
Television host: But now you live in Russia, I cannot but
ask you? Because you are really... [broken phrase]
Boris Spassky: Yes, yes, I live in Russia.
Television host: With France that's it? You are finished?
Boris Spassky: With France, yes... [applause] When I'm in
Russia I miss France, when I'm in France I miss Russia. Likely, the same happened
with Vladimir Semyonovich, I guess.
Television host: If Vysotsky were alive today, to whom or
what events would he dedicate his songs?
Boris Spassky: This question is too difficult for me. So,
I resign [applause]. I cannot answer it.
Television host: Boris Spassky was not the only Russian whom
Vladimir Vysotsky dedicated his songs...
Closing statement by Boris Spassky [77 min 27 sec]: In my opinion, Vladimir
Semyonovich possessed an advanced personal quality of the social responsibility
(Voice Off: It is true). Notably, it's felt in all his songs even just now...
Boris Spassky, fearing death, 'flees' to Russia 18.08.2012 – Since Thursday we had been searching
for the 75-year-old former World Champion who, his wife told us, had disappeared
from their house in Meudon near Paris. Now he has turned up in Moscow,
with a harrowing story, which he revealed to the Russian newspapers Komsomolskaya
Pravda. After a stroke in 2010 he was rehabilitating in France, where
he apparently felt trapped. Interview.
Spassky's sister: help save my brother! 23.08.2012 – New and even more shocking revelations
around Boris Spassky: last Saturday a Russian newspaper reported that
the former World Champion had "fled" from his home in Paris to Moscow,
where he had told a harrowing story of being held under "house arrest",
fearing death. Now his sister in St. Petersburg turns the story upside
down and fears that her beloved brother may
have been abducted.
Spassky resurfaces in Moscow – Interview and TV news
footage 05.10.2012 – In August we reported that the
former World Champion Boris Spassky had disappeared from his home near
Paris, where he said he had been under "house arrest" and in fear for
his life. Then his sister expressed concern that he might have been abducted.
Now Spassky has appeared on Russian TV to explain his situation, while
the news portal Whychess has recorded
an
in-depth video interview.
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