foxychess.com Join free

FoxyChess › Grandmasters › Tigran Petrosian

Tigran Petrosian

1950s – 1970sWorld Champion 1963 – 1969Peak rating 2645213 games

The ninth World Champion, nicknamed Iron Tigran for an exceptionally resilient defensive style, prophylactic thinking and positional exchange sacrifices.

Tigran Petrosian — Photo: Harry Pot for Anefo (Nationaal Archief), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

How Petrosian plays

'Iron Tigran' was the hardest player in history to beat. He saw his opponent's threats before they existed and removed them, often with a quiet move nobody else would consider, and he was happy to give up the exchange for a position he liked. He was World Champion from 1963 to 1969.

What to learn from Petrosian

Petrosian teaches defence and prophylaxis: before you attack, make sure nothing can go wrong. His exchange sacrifices (a rook for a bishop or knight) show that material is only worth what it can do.

A game to play through

Petrosian, Tigran V vs Trifunovic, Petar - URS-JUG 1957 1-0 — the final position. A Petrosian win with White, in his careful, prophylactic style.

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

Tigran Petrosian: the final position

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 O-O 9.h3 Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Qc7 12.Nbd2 Bb7 13.Nf1 cxd4 14.cxd4 Rac8 15.Bd3 d5 16.dxe5 Nxe4 17.Ng3 Bb4 18.Re2 f5 19.exf6 Nxg3 20.fxg3 Qxg3 21.Bf5 d4 22.Be6+ Kh8 23.Bxc8 Bxf3 24.Qd3 Rxc8 25.Qxf3 Qxf3 26.fxg7+ Kxg7 27.gxf3 d3 28.Rg2+ Kf6 29.Bg5+ Kf5 30.Rd1 Rc2 31.h4 d2 32.Bxd2 Rxb2 33.Rg5+ Ke6 34.Re1+ Kf6 35.Bxb4 Rxb4 36.Re4 Rb2 37.Rf4+ Ke6 38.Re4+ Kf6 39.Rg2 Rb1+ 40.Kh2 Nc4 41.Rge2 a5 42.Rf4+ Kg6 43.Rg2+ Kh5 44.Rf5+ Kh6 45.f4 Ne3 46.Rf6+ Kh5 47.Rg5+ Kxh4 48.Rh6#

Play through 213 Tigran Petrosian games

Watch every game move by move, or play the winner's moves yourself and see how close you get. Free to join, no card needed.

or

By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. You must be 13 or over.

Tigran Petrosian games on FoxyChess

Watch each game move by move, or play the winner's moves yourself and see how close you get.

Tal, M. vs Petrosian, T. - USSR t-ch 1974 1-0
Spassky,B vs Petrosian,T - WCh 1969 1-0
Fischer, Robert James vs Petrosian, Tigran V - Bled 1961 1-0
Kasparov, Gary vs Petrosian, Tigran V - Bugojno 1982 1-0
Kasparov, Gary vs Petrosian, Tigran V - Niksic 1983 1-0
Nakamura,H vs Petrosian,TL - VIII Dos Hermanas Internet 2007 1-0
Aronian, Levon vs Nalbandian, Tigran - ARM-ch 1996 1-0
Nalbandian, Tigran vs Aronian, Levon - ARM-ch 1999 0-1
Carlsen,M vs Petrosian,TL - chess.com QF Blitz 3m+2spm 2016 2016 1-0
Tal, Mihail vs Petrosian, Tigran V - URS-ch24 1957 1-0
Praggnanandhaa,R vs Nazaretyan,Tigran - Chigorin Memorial 2017 2017 1-0
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Trifunovic, Petar - URS-JUG 1957 1-0
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Pietzsch, Wolfgang - Munich olm fin-A 1958 1-0
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Larsen, Bent - Zagreb 1965 1-0
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Tomic, Dragoslav - Vinkovci 1970 1-0
Udovcic, Mijo vs Petrosian, Tigran V - Rovinj/Zagreb 1970 0-1
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Kortschnoj, Viktor - Candidats qf1 1977 1-0
Sereda, Viktor vs Petrosian, Tigran V - Tbilisi 1945 0-1
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Buslaev, Aleksander - Tbilisi 1945 1-0
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Kasparian, Genrikh - Tbilisi 1945 1-0
Agamalian vs Petrosian, Tigran V - Tbilisi 1945 0-1
Gabuniya vs Petrosian, Tigran V - Tbilisi 1945 0-1
Grigoriev, Nikolay Dmitrievich vs Petrosian, Tigran V - Tbilisi 1945 0-1
Grigoriev, Nikolay Dmitrievich vs Petrosian, Tigran V - Tbilisi 1945 0-1
Nersesov vs Petrosian, Tigran V - Tbilisi 1945 0-1
Nersesov vs Petrosian, Tigran V - Tbilisi 1945 0-1
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Arutiunov, Albert - Tbilisi 1945 1-0
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Bakhtadze, Giorgi - Tbilisi 1945 1-0
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Buslaev, Aleksander - Tbilisi 1945 1-0
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Chachua - Tbilisi 1945 1-0
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Dzhaparidze, D. - Tbilisi 1945 1-0
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Giorgadze, Giorgi - Tbilisi 1945 1-0
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Grigoriev, Nikolay Dmitrievich - Tbilisi 1945 1-0
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Kelendzheridze - Tbilisi 1945 1-0
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Mirzayev - Tbilisi 1945 1-0
Malashkhia vs Petrosian, Tigran V - Tbilisi-ch 1945 0-1
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Sorokin, Nikolay - GEO-ch 1945 1-0
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Nersesov - GEO-ch 1945 1-0
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Ebralidze, Archil Silovanovich - Tbilisi-ch 1945 1-0
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Arutiunov, Albert - GEO-ch 1945 1-0

…and 173 more inside FoxyChess.

More grandmasters