Tigran Petrosian
Notable Games

Tigran Petrosian

19 celebrated games · 812 in the full archive
Player Index ◈ Biography 812 CURATED GAMES

Notable Games

  • 1953.08.31 Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vsPetrosian, Tigran V 1/2-1/2 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Bernstein Defense, Exchange Line 41 moves Candidates Tournament Zürich Candidates 1953 — Petrosian's 25...Re6!!, sacrificing the exchange to plant a knight on d5, is the most famous positional exchange sacrifice ever taught. Reshevsky returned the exchange for a draw, but the idea became Petrosian's signature.
  • 1961.09.10 Petrosian, Tigran V vsPachman, Ludek 1-0 Zukertort Opening: Sicilian Invitation 21 moves Bled 30th Anniversary Bled 1961 — proof the "Iron Tigran" could attack: the queen sacrifice 19.Qxf6+!! tears open Pachman's king and a 21-move miniature ends in an inescapable mating net (21.Bg7).
  • 1962.05.02 Petrosian, Tigran V vsTal, Mikhail 1-0 Réti Opening: Anglo-Slav Variation, London Defensive System 64 moves Candidates Tournament-05 Curaçao Candidates 1962 — Petrosian grinds down former World Champion Mikhail Tal in a long English, on his way to winning the tournament that earned him the title match.
  • 1963.04.01 Petrosian, Tigran V vsBotvinnik, Mikhail 1-0 Grünfeld Defense: Three Knights Variation, Burille Variation 48 moves World-ch24 Petrosian-Botvinnik +5-2=15 Game 5 of the 1963 world-championship match — Petrosian's first win over Botvinnik levelled the score and set the tone for the match that made him the ninth World Champion.
  • 1966.05.02 Petrosian, Tigran V vsSpassky, Boris Vasilievich 1-0 King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Panno Variation, Blockade Line 30 moves World-ch25 Petrosian-Spassky +4-3=17 Petrosian's "World Championship Immortal." Defending his title against Spassky in 1966, he gives up both rooks (21.Ne3, 24.Rxf4) against the King's Indian and mates with queen, bishop and knight — 30.Qh8+.
  • 1966.11.07 Larsen, Bent vsPetrosian, Tigran V 0-1 French Defense: Two Knights Variation 48 moves Olympiad-17 Final A Havana Olympiad 1966 — a textbook positional exchange sacrifice: 14...Rxe5! hands Larsen the exchange for a dominating pawn centre, which Petrosian converts with the black pieces.
  • 1968 Petrosian, Tigran V vsEstrin, Yakov Borisovich 1-0 English Opening: King's English Variation, Troger Defense 26 moves Moscow-ch 46th Moscow Championship 1968 — a rare Petrosian sprint: rook sacrifices on h7 and h6 blow open Estrin's king in a 26-move attacking miniature.
  • 1969.05.09 Petrosian, Tigran V vsSpassky, Boris Vasilievich 1-0 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation 38 moves World-ch26 Spassky-Petrosian +6-4=13 Their 1969 rematch — Petrosian answers Spassky's Nimzo-Indian with a sharp central break, then a forcing knight tour (Nb7–d8–c6–e5–g6) wins material.
  • 1971.10.05 Petrosian, Tigran V vsFischer, Robert James 1-0 Grünfeld Defense: Brinckmann Attack 32 moves Candidates f Fischer-Petrosian +5-1=3 Buenos Aires 1971 — in Game 2 of the Candidates final, Petrosian ended Bobby Fischer's historic run of 20 consecutive wins over the world's best players.
  • 1972.11.21 Petrosian, Tigran V vsGligoric, Svetozar 1-0 King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Normal Defense 35 moves San Antonio San Antonio 1972 — against King's Indian expert Gligorić, Petrosian sacrifices the exchange with 30.Re6! to install a passed pawn on e6 and a dominating knight.
  • 1973.10.12 Petrosian, Tigran V vsKarpov, Anatoly 1-0 Queen's Indian Defense: Spassky System 65 moves URS-ch41 Final 41st USSR Championship, 1973 — Petrosian outmanoeuvres the 22-year-old Anatoly Karpov in a Queen's Indian, two years before Karpov became World Champion.
  • 1981.10.10 Kasparov, Garry vsPetrosian, Tigran V 0-1 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Janowski-Larsen Variation 42 moves Interpolis-05 Tilburg 1981 — at 52, Petrosian schools the 18-year-old Garry Kasparov, patiently working the queenside to beat the teenager who would soon rule the chess world.
  • 1951.12.06 Petrosian, Tigran V vsSmyslov, Vasily V 1-0 Slav Defense: Geller Gambit 51 moves URS-ch19 Final Moscow 1951 — a 51-move win with White against Vasily V Smyslov. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part III, game 1 (PDF page 5).
  • 1956.04.04 Petrosian, Tigran V vsPilnik, Hermann 1-0 Benoni Defense: King's Indian System 50 moves Candidates Tournament Amsterdam/Leeuwarden 1956, Candidates round 6 — a 50-move win with White against Hermann Pilnik. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part III, game 7 (PDF page 14).
  • 1963.04.29 Petrosian, Tigran V vsBotvinnik, Mikhail 1-0 Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation, Accelerated Variation 58 moves World-ch24 Petrosian-Botvinnik +5-2=15 World Championship 1963, game 15 — a 58-move win with White against Mikhail Botvinnik. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part III, game 16 (PDF page 30).
  • 1966.04.25 Spassky, Boris Vasilievich vsPetrosian, Tigran V 0-1 Torre Attack: Classical Defense 43 moves World-ch25 Petrosian-Spassky +4-3=17 World Championship 1966, game 7 — a 43-move win with Black against Boris Vasilievich Spassky. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part III, game 17 (PDF page 33).
  • 1968.10.26 Bobotsov, Milko Georgiev vsPetrosian, Tigran V 0-1 Indian Defense: Anti-Nimzo-Indian 41 moves Olympiad-18 Final A Lugano 1968, Olympiad — a 41-move win with Black against Milko Georgiev Bobotsov. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part III, game 43 (PDF page 84).
  • 1974.01 Petrosian, Tigran V vsPortisch, Lajos 1-0 Queen's Gambit Declined 40 moves Candidates qf Petrosian-Portisch +3-2=8 Palma de Mallorca 1974, Candidates match game 13 — a 40-move win with White against Lajos Portisch. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part III, game 39 (PDF page 74).
  • 1983.04.21 Polugaevsky, Lev vsPetrosian, Tigran V 0-1 Zukertort Opening: Kingside Fianchetto 24 moves URS-ch50 Final Moscow 1983 — a 24-move win with Black against Lev Polugaevsky. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part III, game 47 (PDF page 90).
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