The book is more than just a biography about the 10th world chess champion. His way to the chess Olympus is traced as well as his historic defeat in 1972 against Bobby Fischer in the match of the century. Over 50 annotated games, divided into 16 chapters, and 64 selected combinations accompany the chess life of the brilliant Russian from his beginnings in the 1940s in Leningrad to his last match against Viktor Korchnoi in 2009 in Elista. Almost 60 original illustrations and caricatures of the protagonist replace the usual mainstream photos in this book and are symbolic of Spassky's proven humor. The book includes anecdotes from encounters of various players with Spassky and numerous interviews and statements by the world champion. 2 pictures.