However, Spassky's performances in the World Cup events of 1988 and 1989 showed that he could by this stage finish no higher than the middle of the pack against elite fields. He participated in three of the six events of the World Cup. At Belfort, he scored 8/15 for a joint 4th–7th place, as Garry Kasparov won. At Reykjavík, he scored 7/17 for a joint 15th–16th place, with Kasparov again winning. Finally, at Barcelona, Spassky scored 7½/16 for a tied 8th–12th place, as Kasparov shared first with Ljubomir Ljubojević.
However, Spassky's performances in the World Cup events of 1988 and 1989 showed that he could by this stage finish no higher than the middle of the pack against elite fields. He participated in three of the six events of the World Cup. At Belfort he scored 8/15 for a joint 4th–7th place, as Garry Kasparov won. At Reykjavík, he scored 7/17 for a joint 15th–16th place, with Kasparov again winning. Finally, at Barcelona, Spassky scored 7½/16 for a tied 8th–12th place, as Kasparov shared first with Ljubomir Ljubojević.