Spassky won two tournaments in the run-up to the final. He shared first at the third Chigorin Memorial in Sochi, in 1965 with Wolfgang Unzicker on 10½/15, then tied for first at Hastings 1965–66 with Wolfgang Uhlmann on 7½/9.
Spassky won two tournaments in the run-up to the final He shared first at the third Chigorin Memorial in Sochi in 1965 with Wolfgang Unzicker on 10½/15 then tied for first at Hastings 1965–66 with Wolfgang Uhlmann on 7½/9