C13 When Champions Collide - Part 3

Tigran Petrosian (June 17, 1929 – August 13, 1984) was a Soviet Armenian grandmaster, and World Chess Champion from 1963 to 1969. He was nicknamed "Iron Tigran" due to his almost impenetrable defensive playing style, which emphasised safety above all else.

Petrosian was a Candidate for the World 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 in 1969 (to Spassky). 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).

• "It is to Petrosian's advantage that his opponents never know when he is suddenly going to play like Mikhail Tal." – Boris Spassky
• "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                                                                                                              SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tigran_Petrosian
• GAME SOURCE: Tigran Petrosian World Champion  ©1965 by GM Count A.O'Kelly de Galway pp 33-5 (all unattributed analysis and commentary is from this source)