Former chess grandmaster Boris Spassky has died at the age of 88.
This was announced by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) on Thursday evening.
Spassky achieved the title of grandmaster at the age of 18, and was described as a child prodigy in the chess world.
He won the World Championship title after beating Tigran Petrosyan in a World Championship match in 1969.
Spassky represented the Soviet Olympic team seven times and emigrated to France in 1976, where he later played for France in three Olympiads.