Friday Feature: Tigran Petrosian

Tigran Petrosian

Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian was a Soviet chess grandmaster and World Chess Champion. He was born on June 17, 1929 in Tiflis, which is now known as Tbilisi, Georgia. Petrosian learned to play chess at a young age and quickly gained recognition as a talented player. He became a grandmaster in 1953 and won the Soviet Chess Championship in 1959, 1961, and 1969.

Petrosian's most significant achievement came in 1963, when he defeated Mikhail Botvinnik to become the World Chess Champion. He held the title until 1969, when he was defeated by Boris Spassky in a closely contested match. Despite losing the World Championship, Petrosian remained a formidable chess player and had a number of successful tournament victories throughout his career. He was known for his defensive style of play, which earned him the nickname "The Iron Tigran."

In addition to his success as a chess player, Petrosian was also a chess writer and coach. He died on August 13, 1984 in Moscow. Petrosian's status as a World Chess Champion and his contributions to the development of chess strategy have earned him a place in the history of the game.