REYKJAVIK, Iceland -- "Chess," Bobby Fischer once said, "is life." It was the chess master's tragedy that the messy, tawdry details of his life often overshadowed the sublime genius of his game.

At a time before his country became a chess powerhouse, he defeated four world champions, including Bobby Fischer and another in an unlikely turn of events. By Dylan Loeb McClain When Mr. Spassky, a ...