Tigran Petrosian

Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian[a] (June 17, 1929 – August 13,

Tigran Petrosian
1984) was a Soviet Armenian[1] Grandmaster, and World Chess
Champion from 1963 to 1969. He was nicknamed "Iron Tigran"
due to his almost impenetrable defensive playing style, which
emphasized safety above all else.[2][3] Petrosian is credited with
popularizing chess in Armenia.[4][5]

Petrosian was a Candidate for the World Chess Championship on

eight occasions (1953, 1956, 1959, 1962, 1971, 1974, 1977 and
1980). He won the World Championship in 1963 (against Mikhail
Botvinnik), successfully defended it in 1966 (against Boris
Spassky), and lost it to Spassky in 1969. Thus he was the
defending World Champion or a World Championship Candidate
in ten consecutive three-year cycles. He won the Soviet
Championship four times (1959, 1961, 1969, and 1975).

Contents
Early life
Petrosian in 1962
Grandmaster in Moscow
Full name Tigran Vartanovich
1963 World Championship Petrosian
Reigning World Champion Country Soviet Union
Later career Born June 17, 1929
Personal life and death Tbilisi, Georgian SSR,
Deafness Soviet Union (now
Recognition and legacy Georgia)

Olympiads and team championships Died August 13, 1984

(aged 55)
Playing style
Moscow, Russian
The positional exchange sacrifice
SFSR, Soviet Union
Contributions to opening theory
(now Russia)
Quotes
Title Grandmaster (1952)
See also
World 1963–1969
Notes Champion
References Peak 2645 (July 1972)
Further reading rating
External links
Early life
Petrosian was born to Armenian parents on June 17, 1929, in Tiflis, Georgian SSR (present-day
Georgia).[6] As a young boy, Petrosian was an excellent student and enjoyed studying, as did his brother
Hmayak and sister Vartoosh. He learned to play chess at the age of 8,[7] though his illiterate father Vartan
encouraged him to continue studying, as he thought chess was unlikely to bring his son any success as a
career.[8] Petrosian was orphaned during World War II and was forced to sweep streets to earn a living.[6] It
was about this time that his hearing began to deteriorate, a problem that afflicted him throughout his life. In
a 1969 interview with Time magazine, he recalled:[9]

I started sweeping streets in the middle of the winter and it was horrible. Of course there
were no machines then, so we had to do everything by hand. Some of the older men
helped me out. I was a weak boy. And I was ashamed of being a street sweeper—that's
natural, I suppose. It wasn't so bad in the early morning when the streets were empty, but
when it got light and the crowds came out I really hated it. I got sick and missed a year in
school. We had a babushka, a sister of my father, and she really saved me. She gave me
bread to eat when I was sick and hungry. That's when this trouble with my hearing
started. I don't remember how it all happened. Things aren't very clear from that time.

He used his rations to buy Chess Praxis by Danish grandmaster Aron Nimzowitsch, a book which
Petrosian later stated had the greatest influence on him as a chess player.[8] He also purchased The Art of
Sacrifice in Chess by Rudolf Spielmann. The other player to have had an early effect on Petrosian's chess
was José Raúl Capablanca.[8] At age 12 he began training at the Tiflis Palace of Pioneers[7][10] under the
tutelage of Archil Ebralidze. Ebralidze was a supporter of Nimzowitsch and Capablanca, and his scientific
approach to chess discouraged wild tactics and dubious combinations. As a result, Petrosian developed a
repertoire of solid positional openings, such as the Caro–Kann Defence.[8] After training at the Palace of
Pioneers for just one year, he defeated visiting Soviet grandmaster Salo Flohr at a simultaneous
exhibition.[7][10]

By 1946, Petrosian had earned the title of Candidate Master. In that year alone, he drew against
Grandmaster Paul Keres at the Georgian Chess Championship, then moved to Yerevan where he won the
Armenian Chess Championship and the USSR Junior Chess Championship. Petrosian earned the title of
Master during the 1947 USSR Chess Championship, though he failed to qualify for the finals.[10] He set
about to improve his game by studying Nimzowitsch's My System and by moving to Moscow to seek
greater competition.[7]

Grandmaster in Moscow
After moving to Moscow in 1949,[11] Petrosian's career as a chess player advanced rapidly and his results
in Soviet events steadily improved. He placed second in the 1951 Soviet Championship, thereby earning
the title of international master. It was in this tournament that Petrosian faced world champion Botvinnik for
the first time. Playing White, after obtaining a slightly inferior position from the opening, he defended
through two adjournments and eleven total hours of play to obtain a draw.[12] Petrosian's result in this event
qualified him for the Interzonal the following year in Stockholm. He earned the title of Grandmaster by
coming in second in the Stockholm tournament, and qualified for the 1953 Candidates Tournament.[13]

Petrosian placed fifth in the 1953 Candidates Tournament, a result which marked the beginning of a
stagnant period in his career. He seemed content drawing against weaker players and maintaining his title of
Grandmaster rather than improving his chess or making an attempt at becoming World Champion. This
attitude was illustrated by his result in the 1955 USSR Championship: out of 19 games played, Petrosian
was undefeated, but won only four games and drew the rest, with
each of the draws lasting twenty moves or less. Although his
consistent playing ensured decent tournament results, it was looked
down upon by the public and by Soviet chess media and
authorities.[13] Near the end of the event, journalist Vasily Panov
wrote the following comment about the tournament contenders:
"Real chances of victory, besides Botvinnik and Smyslov, up to
round 15, are held by Geller, Spassky and Taimanov. I deliberately
exclude Petrosian from the group, since from the very first rounds
Petrosian (standing on right, with
the latter has made it clear that he is playing for an easier, but also jacket) at the 1961 European Chess
honourable conquest—a place in the interzonal quartet."[14] Team Championship. Seated, facing
right, is Mikhail Tal, then world
This period of complacency ended with the 1957 USSR champion.
Championship, where out of 21 games played, Petrosian won
seven, lost four, and drew the remaining 10. Although this result
was only good enough for seventh place in a field of 22 competitors, his more ambitious approach to
tournament play was met with great appreciation from the Soviet chess community. He went on to win his
first USSR Championship in 1959, and later that year in the Candidates Tournament he defeated Paul
Keres with a display of his often-overlooked tactical abilities. Petrosian was awarded the title of Master of
Sport of the USSR in 1960, and won a second Soviet title in 1961.[15] His excellent playing continued
through 1962 when he qualified for the Candidates Tournament for what would be his first World
Championship match.[13]

1963 World Championship

After playing in the 1962 Interzonal in Stockholm, Petrosian
qualified for the Candidates Tournament in Curaçao along with Pal
Benko, Miroslav Filip, Bobby Fischer, Efim Geller, Paul Keres,
Viktor Korchnoi, and Mikhail Tal. Petrosian, representing the
Soviet Union, won the tournament with a final score of 17½
points, followed by fellow Soviets Geller and Keres each with 17
points and the American Fischer with 14.[16] Fischer later accused
the Soviet players of arranging draws and having "ganged up" on
him to prevent him from winning the tournament.[17] As evidence
for this claim, he noted that all 12 games played between
Petrosian, Geller, and Keres were draws. Statisticians pointed out
that when playing against each other, these Soviet competitors
averaged 19 moves per game, as opposed to 39.5 moves when
playing against other competitors. Although responses to Fischer's
allegations were mixed, FIDE later adjusted the rules and format to
try to prevent future collusion in the Candidates.[16]

Having won the Candidates Tournament, Petrosian earned the

right to challenge Mikhail Botvinnik for the title of World Chess Petrosian in 1960
Champion in a 24-game match. In addition to practicing his chess,
Petrosian also prepared for the match by skiing for several hours
each day. He believed that in such a long match, physical fitness could become a factor in the later games.
This advantage was increased by Botvinnik being much older than Petrosian.[16] Whereas a multitude of
draws in tournament play could prevent a player from taking first place, draws did not affect the outcome of
a one-on-one match. In this regard, Petrosian's cautious playing style was well-suited for match play, as he
could simply wait for his opponent to make mistakes and then capitalize on them.[18] Petrosian won the
match against Botvinnik with a final score of 5 to 2 with 15 draws, securing the title of World
Champion.[19]

Reigning World Champion

Upon becoming World Champion, Petrosian campaigned for the
publication of a chess newspaper for the entire Soviet Union rather
than just Moscow. This newspaper became known as 64.[20]
Petrosian studied for a degree of Master of Philosophical Science
at Yerevan State University; his thesis, dated 1968, was titled
"Chess Logic, Some Problems of the Logic of Chess
Thought".[15]

In 1966, three years after Petrosian had earned the title of World Petrosian and Jan Hein Donner at
Chess Champion, he was challenged by Boris Spassky. Petrosian the Wijk aan Zee tournament in 1971
defended his title by winning rather than drawing the match, [21] a
feat that had not been accomplished since Alexander Alekhine
defeated Efim Bogoljubov in the 1934 World Championship.[22] However, Spassky would defeat Efim
Geller, Bent Larsen, and Viktor Korchnoi in the next candidates cycle, earning a rematch with Petrosian, in
Moscow in 1969. Spassky won the match by 12½–10½.

Later career
Along with a number of other Soviet chess champions, he signed a
petition condemning the actions of the defector Viktor Korchnoi in
1976. It was the continuation of a bitter feud between the two,
dating back at least to their 1974 Candidates semifinal match in
which Petrosian withdrew after five games while trailing 3½–1½
(+3−1=1). His match with Korchnoi in 1977 saw the two former
colleagues refuse to shake hands or speak to each other. They even
demanded separate eating and toilet facilities. Petrosian went on to
lose the match and was subsequently fired as editor of Russia's
largest chess magazine, 64. His detractors condemned his
reluctance to attack and some put it down to a lack of courage. At
this point, however, Botvinnik spoke out on his behalf, stating that
he only attacked when he felt secure and his greatest strength was
in defence.[23]

Some of his late successes included victories at Lone Pine 1976

and in the 1979 Paul Keres Memorial tournament in Tallinn (12/16
without a loss, ahead of Tal, Bronstein, and others). He shared first
place (with Portisch and Hübner) in the Rio de Janeiro Interzonal Petrosian in 1973
the same year, and won second place in Tilburg in 1981, half a
point behind the winner Beliavsky. It was here that he played his
last famous victory, a miraculous escape against the young Garry Kasparov.[24]

Personal life and death

Petrosian lived in Moscow from 1949.[11] In the 1960s and 1970s,
he lived at 59 Pyatnitskaya Street.[25] When asked by Anthony
Saidy whether he is Russian, Petrosian replied: "Abroad, they call
us all Russians. I am a Soviet Armenian."[1]

In 1952,[26][27] Petrosian married Rona Yakovlevna (née

Avinezer, 1923–2005), a Russian Jew born in Kyiv,
Ukraine.[28][29] A graduate of the Moscow Institute of Foreign
Languages,[11] she was an English teacher and interpreter.[28] She Petrosian's grave at the Armenian
is buried at the Jewish section of the Vostryakovsky cemetery in cemetery, Moscow
Moscow.[30] They had two sons:[11] Vartan and Mikhail. The
latter was Rona's son from the first marriage.[28]

His hobbies included football, backgammon, cross-country skiing, table tennis, and gardening.[11][31]

Petrosian died of stomach cancer on August 13, 1984, in Moscow and is buried in the Moscow Armenian
Cemetery.[32]

Deafness

Petrosian was partially deaf[33] and wore a hearing aid during his matches, which sometimes led to strange
situations. On one occasion he offered a draw to Svetozar Gligorić, which Gligorić initially refused in
surprise, but then changed his mind in a few seconds and re-offered the draw. However, Petrosian did not
even respond, instead went ahead and won the game. As it turned out, he switched off his hearing aid, and
did not hear when Gligorić re-offered the draw.[34] In 1971, he played a candidates match against Robert
Hübner in a noisy area in Seville, which did not disturb him, but frustrated Hübner so much that he finally
withdrew from the match.[35]

Recognition and legacy

At the time of his death, Petrosian was working on a set of chess-related lectures and articles to be compiled
in a book. These were edited by his wife Rona and published posthumously, in Russian under the title
"Шахматные лекции Петросян" (1989) and in English as "Petrosian's Legacy" (1990).

In 1987, World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov unveiled a memorial at Petrosian's grave which depicts
the laurel wreath of World Champion and an image contained within a crown of the sun shining above the
twin peaks of Mount Ararat – the national symbol of Petrosian's Armenian homeland. On July 7, 2006, a
monument honouring Petrosian was opened in the Davtashen district of Yerevan, in the street named after
Petrosian.[36] Petrosian was also honoured on the third banknote series of the Armenian dram, with his
image on the 2,000 dram banknote.[37]

Olympiads and team championships

Petrosian was not selected for the Soviet Olympiad side until 1958; he had already been a Candidate twice
by that time. But he then made ten straight Soviet Olympiad teams from 1958 to 1978, won nine team gold
medals, one team silver medal, and six individual gold medals.
His overall performance in Olympiad play is impressive: +78−1=50 (only one game lost, to Robert Hübner,
out of 129 played), for 79.8 per cent, the third all-time best performance after Anatoly Karpov (+43−2=23
for 80.1 per cent) and Mikhail Tal (+65−2=34 for 81.2 per cent).[38] His Olympiad results follow:
 Munich 1958, 2nd reserve, 10½/13 (+8−0=5), board and
team gold medals;
Leipzig 1960, 2nd reserve, 12/13 (+11−0=2), board and
team gold medals;
Varna 1962, board 2, 10/12 (+8−0=4), board and team
gold medals;
Tel Aviv 1964, board 1, 9½/13 (+6−0=7), team gold
medal;
Havana 1966, board 1, 11½/13 (+10−0=3), board and
team gold medals;
Lugano 1968, board 1, 10½/12 (+9−0=3), board and
team gold medals;
Siegen 1970, board 2, 10/14 (+6−0=8), team gold
medal;
Skopje 1972, board 1, 10½/16 (+6−1=9), team gold
medal; Petrosian's statue near the Yerevan
Nice 1974, board 4, 12½/14 (+11−0=3), board and team Chess House.
gold medals;
Buenos Aires 1978, board 2, 6/9 (+3−0=6), team silver
medal.

Petrosian also made the Soviet team for the first eight European
Team Championships (from 1957 to 1983). He won eight team
gold medals, and four board gold medals. His totals in Euroteams
play, according to olimpbase.org, are (+15−0=37), for 64.4 per
cent.[38] His Euroteams results follow: To commemorate the 75th
anniversary of his birth, Armenia
Vienna 1957, board 6, 4/5 (+3−0=2), board and team issued this stamp in 2005.
gold medals;
Oberhausen 1961, board 4, 6/8 (+4−0=4),
board and team gold medals;
Hamburg 1965, board 1, 6/10 (+2−0=8),
board and team gold medals;
Kapfenberg 1970, board 1, 3½/6 (+1−0=5),
team gold medal;
Bath, Somerset 1973, board 2, 4½/7
(+2−0=5), board and team gold medals;
Moscow 1977, board 2, 3½/6 (+1−0=5), team
gold medal; Tigran Petrosian on a 2018 2000 Dram banknote.
Skara 1980, board 3, 2½/5 (+0−0=5), team
gold medal;
Plovdiv 1983, board 3, 3½/5 (+2−0=3), team gold medal.

Playing style
Petrosian was a conservative, cautious, and highly defensive chess player who was strongly influenced by
Aron Nimzowitsch's idea of prophylaxis. He made more effort to prevent his opponent's offensive
capabilities than he did to make use of his own. He very rarely went on the offensive unless he felt his
position was completely secure.[6] He usually won by playing consistently until his aggressive opponent
made a mistake, securing the win by capitalizing upon this mistake without revealing any weaknesses of his
own. This style of play often led to draws, especially against other players who preferred to counterattack.
Nonetheless, his patience and mastery of defence made him extremely difficult to beat. He was undefeated
at the 1952 and 1955 Interzonals, and in 1962 he did not lose a single tournament game. Petrosian's
consistent ability to avoid defeat earned him the nickname "Iron Tigran".[39] He was considered to be the
hardest player to beat in the history of chess by the authors of a 2004 book,[40] while future World
Champion Vladimir Kramnik called him "the first defender with a capital D".[41]

Petrosian preferred to play closed openings that did not commit his pieces to any particular plan. As black,
Petrosian enjoyed playing the Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation[42] and the French Defence. As white, he
often played the English Opening.[43] Petrosian would often move the same piece multiple times in a few
moves, confusing his opponents in the opening and threatening draws by threefold repetition in the
endgame. In a game against Mark Taimanov during the 1955 USSR Chess Championship, Petrosian
moved the same rook 6 times in a 24-move game, with 4 of those moves occurring on consecutive
turns.[44][45] He had a strong affinity for knights rather than bishops, a characteristic that is attributed to the
influence of Aron Nimzowitsch.[46]

A number of illustrative metaphors have been used to describe Petrosian's style of play. Harold C.
Schonberg said that "playing him was like trying to put handcuffs on an eel. There was nothing to
grip."[39] He has been described as a centipede lurking in the dark,[39] a tiger looking for the opportunity to
pounce, a python who slowly squeezes his victims to death,[6] and as a crocodile who waits for hours to
make a decisive strike.[47] Boris Spassky, who succeeded Petrosian as World Chess Champion, described
his style of play as such: "Petrosian reminds me of a hedgehog. Just when you think you have caught him,
he puts out his quills."[6]

Petrosian's style of play, although highly successful for avoiding defeats, was criticized as being dull. Chess
enthusiasts saw his "ultraconservative" style as an unwelcome contrast to the popular image of Soviet chess
as "daring" and "indomitable".[48] His 1971 Candidates Tournament match with Viktor Korchnoi featured
so many monotonous draws that the Russian press began to complain. However, Svetozar Gligorić
described Petrosian as being "very impressive in his incomparable ability to foresee danger on the board
and to avoid any risk of defeat."[39] Petrosian responded to his criticisms by saying: "They say my games
should be more 'interesting'. I could be more 'interesting'—and also lose."[6]

Another consequence of Petrosian's style of play was that he did not score many victories, which in turn
meant he seldom won tournaments even though he often finished 2nd or 3rd. However, his style was
extremely effective in matches.[49] Petrosian could also occasionally play in an attacking, sacrificial style.
In his 1966 match with Spassky, he won Game 7 (http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=11067
20) and Game 10 (http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1106725) this way. Boris Spassky
subsequently stated: "It is to Petrosian's advantage that his opponents never know when he is suddenly
going to play like Mikhail Tal." (Tal was known as the most aggressive attacker of his era.)[50]

The positional exchange sacrifice

Petrosian was known for his use of the "positional exchange sacrifice", where one side sacrifices a rook for
the opponent's bishop or knight. Kasparov discussed Petrosian's use of this motif:

Petrosian introduced the exchange sacrifice for the sake of 'quality of position', where the time
factor, which is so important in the play of Alekhine and Tal, plays hardly any role. Even
today, very few players can operate confidently at the board with such abstract concepts.
Before Petrosian no one had studied this. By sacrificing the exchange 'just like that', for certain
long term advantages, in positions with disrupted material balance, he discovered latent
resources that few were capable of seeing and properly evaluating.[51]
One of Petrosian's most famous examples of the positional
Reshevsky vs. Petrosian, 1953
exchange sacrifice is from his game against Samuel Reshevsky in
a b c d e f g h
Zurich 1953[52] (see diagram). Reshevsky, as White, appears to
8 8
have an advantage due to his strong pawn centre, which may
become mobile after Bf3 and d4–d5. Petrosian realized he was in a 7 7
difficult position because of the passive placement of his pieces, 6 6
relegated to defensive roles. He further understood that White might 5 5
also advance on the kingside with h2–h4–h5, provoking 4 4
weaknesses that would make it more difficult to defend later on.
3 3
Faced with these threats, Petrosian devised a plan to maneuver his
2 2
knight to the square d5, where it would be prominently placed in the
centre, and blockade the advance of White's pawns. 1 1
a b c d e f g h
25... Re6! Position after 25.Rfe1

With the rook vacated from e7, the black knight is free to move to
d5, where it will be attacking the pawn on c3, and help support an eventual advance of his queenside pawn
majority with ...b5–b4.

26. a4 Ne7 27. Bxe6 fxe6 28. Qf1 Nd5 29. Rf3 Bd3 30. Rxd3 cxd3

The game was eventually drawn on move 41.[53]

Contributions to opening theory

KID, Petrosian System
Petrosian was an expert against the King's Indian Defence, and he
often played what is now known as the Petrosian System: 1.d4 Nf6 a b c d e f g h
2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.d5.[54][55] This 8 8
variation closes the centre early in the game. One of the tactical 7 7
ideas for White is to play Bg5, pinning Black's knight to his queen. 6 6
Black can respond by either moving his queen (usually ...Qe8) or 5 5
by playing ...h6, though the latter move weakens Black's kingside
4 4
pawn structure.[56] Two of Black's responses to the Petrosian
3 3
Variation were developed by grandmasters Paul Keres and Leonid
Stein. The Keres Variation arises after 7...Nbd7 8.Bg5 h6 9.Bh4 g5 2 2

10.Bg3 Nh5 11.h4, and the Stein Variation begins an immediate 1 1

queenside offensive with 7...a5.[57] a b c d e f g h
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6
The Queen's Indian Defence also has a variation developed by 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.d5
Petrosian: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.a3,[58] with the idea of
preventing ...Bb4+. This system received much attention in 1980
when it was used by the young Garry Kasparov to defeat several grandmasters. Today the Petrosian
Variation is still considered the most pressing variation, with the greatest score in Master games.[59]

Other Petrosian variations can be found in the Grünfeld Defence after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3
Bg7 5.Bg5,[60] and the French Defence after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 Qd7.[61] Some authorities
refer to a variation of the Caro–Kann Defence with his name, along with former world champion Vassily
Smyslov: the Petrosian–Smyslov Variation, 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7.[62]

Quotes
 "In those years, it was easier to win the Soviet Championship than a game against 'Iron
Tigran'." — Lev Polugaevsky[63]
"It is to Petrosian's advantage that his opponents never know when he is suddenly going to
play like Mikhail Tal." — Boris Spassky[50]
"He [Petrosian] has an incredible tactical view, and a wonderful sense of the danger... No
matter how much you think deep... He will 'smell' any kind of danger 20 moves before!" —
Bobby Fischer
"Chess is a game by its form, an art by its content and a science by the difficulty of gaining
mastery in it. Chess can convey as much happiness as a good book or work of music can.
However, it is necessary to learn to play well and only afterwards will one experience real
delight." — Tigran Petrosian
"I'm absolutely convinced that in chess – although it remains a game – there is nothing
accidental. And this is my credo. I like only those chess games, in which I have played in
accordance with the position requirements... I believe only in logical and right game." —
Tigran Petrosian[64]
"During tournament analysis sessions players all speak at once, but whenever Petrosian
said anything, everyone would shut up and listen." — Yasser Seirawan[49]
"I associate Tigran Petrosian with Warne Marsh. A unique style of play which, it seemed,
was too calm and dull, while in reality it was deep and cunning." — Levon Aronian[65]

See also
Chess in Armenia

Notes
a. Armenian: Տիգրան Վարդանի Պետրոսյան; Russian: Тигран Вартанович Петросян
1. Saidy, Anthony (February 1973). "Interviewing the Soviet Stars" (http://uscf1-nyc1.aodhostin
g.com/CL-AND-CR-ALL/CL-ALL/1973/1973_All.pdf) (PDF). Chess Life & Review. 28 (1–6):
69. "CL&R: The newspaper here called you a Russian. You live in Moscow but you received
your degree as Master of Philosophy at Yerevan University in Armenia ... Petrosian: Abroad,
they call us all Russians. I am a Soviet Armenian."
2. Vasiliev 1974, p. 27.
3. Kasparov 2004, pp. 7, 16, 62, 80.
4. Parkinson, Joe (December 3, 2012). "Winning Move: Chess Reigns as Kingly Pursuit in
Armenia" (https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB100014241278873240208045781473938254576
94). The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
5. "In Armenia chess is king and grandmasters are stars" (https://web.archive.org/web/2014091
5235449/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/in-armenia-chess-is-king-and-gr
andmasters-are-stars-1972407.html). The Independent. May 13, 2010. Archived from the
original (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/in-armenia-chess-is-king-and-gr
andmasters-are-stars-1972407.html) on September 15, 2014.
6. Saidy 1972, pp. 102–04.
7. Sunnucks 1970, pp. 353–54.
8. Vasiliev 1974, pp. 15–22.
9. Chelminski 1969, p. 42.
10. Clarke 1964, pp. 11–12.
11. Ennis, Thomas W. (August 15, 1984). "Tigran Petrosian Dies in Moscow: World Chess
Champion in 1960's" (https://www.nytimes.com/1984/08/15/obituaries/tigran-petrosian-dies-i
n-moscow-world-chess-champion-in-1960-s.html). The New York Times.
12. Vasiliev 1974, p. 43.
13. Winter 1981, pp. 103–04.
14. Vasiliev 1974, p. 60.
15. Vasiliev 1974, p. 7.
16. Schonberg 1973, pp. 246–47.
17. Evans, Larry (July 9, 1972). "Fischer on Russian Cheating" (https://news.google.com/newsp
apers?nid=1310&dat=19720709&id=B0ISAAAAIBAJ&pg=4004,2035865). The Register-
Guard.
18. Vasiliev 1974, pp. 11–13.
19. Schonberg 1973, p. 248.
20. Vasiliev 1974, pp. 155–86.
21. "History of the World Chess Championship – Petrosian vs. Spassky 1966" (http://www.chess
games.com/perl/chess.pl?tid=54395). Chessgames.com.
22. In the 1951 and 1954 World Championship matches, Botvinnik retained his title because he
drew with David Bronstein and with Vasily Smyslov respectively. All other World
Championship matches between 1934 and 1966 were won by the challengers.
23. CHESS Magazine – September 1984
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References
Aagaard, Jacob (2002). Queen's Indian Defence. Everyman Chess. ISBN 1-85744-300-4.
Chelminski, Rudolph (1969). "Close-up: Tigran Petrosian" (https://books.google.com/books?
id=mE8EAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA41). Time Magazine. 66 (4): 41–46.
Chernev, Irving (1995). Twelve Great Chess Players and Their Best Games. New York:
Dover. pp. 92–108. ISBN 0-486-28674-6.
Clarke, P. H. (1964). Tigran Petrosian – Master of Defence: Petrosian's Best Games 1946–
63. B. T. Batsford. ISBN 0-7134-6900-5.
Edmonds, David; Eidinow, John (2004). Bobby Fischer Goes to War (https://archive.org/deta
ils/isbn_9780060510244). HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-051024-4.
Gufeld, Eduard; Schiller, Eric (2000). Secrets of the King's Indian (https://archive.org/details/
secretsofkingsin00eric). Cardoza. ISBN 1-58042-017-6.
Karolyi, Tibor (2020). Petrosian Year by Year: Volume I (1942-1962). Limited Liability
Company Elk and Ruby Publishing House. ISBN 978-5604177020.
Karpov, Anatoly; Beliavsky, Alexander (1994). The Caro–Kann! In Black and White. R&D
Publishing. ISBN 978-1-883358-16-7.
Kasparov, Garry (2007). How Life Imitates Chess. Bloomsbury. ISBN 978-1-59691-387-5.
Kasparov, Garry (2004). My Great Predecessors, Part III. Everyman Chess. ISBN 978-1-
85744-371-4.
Petrosian, Tigran (1990). Petrosian's Legacy. Editions Erebouni.
Petrosian, Tigran; Sehtman, E. (1989). Petroszjan tanít (in Hungarian). Sport Lap- és
Könyvkiadó. ISBN 963-253-827-7.
Saidy, Anthony (1972). The Battle of Chess ideas. B. T. Batsford. ISBN 978-0890580189.
Schonberg, Harold C. (1973). Grandmasters of Chess (https://archive.org/details/grandmast
ersofch00haro). J. B. Lippincott & Co. ISBN 0-397-01004-4.
Sunnucks, Anne, ed. (1970). "Petrosian, Tigran". The Encyclopedia of Chess. St. Martin's
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Vasiliev, Viktor (1974). Tigran Petrosian: His Life and Games. B. T. Batsford. ISBN 4-87187-
813-9.
Winter, Edward G., ed. (1981). World Chess Champions. ISBN 0-08-024094-1.
Further reading
Kirillov, Valentin (2017). Team Tal: An Inside Story. Moscow: Elk and Ruby Publishing
House. ISBN 978-5-950-04330-7.

External links
Tigran Petrosian (http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=16149) player profile
and games at Chessgames.com
Grandmaster Games Database – Tigran Petrosian (http://www.redhotpawn.com/chess/grand
master-games/index.php?player=Tigran_V_Petrosian&masterplayerid=21190)
OlimpBase (http://www.olimpbase.org/players/ikkqkgyh.html)
Biography (http://www.tim-thompson.com/petrosian.html)

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