The people behind the game
Tigran Petrosian
A master of prophylaxis who stopped his opponents' plans before they started. Famous for the positional exchange sacrifice.
- Born
- 1929
- Died
- 1984
- Country connections
- Soviet Union
At the board
The games. The ideas.
Explore classic encounters and championship battles. Play every move, or jump straight to the moments that tell the story.
1966 · World championship · Game 10
Petrosian on the attack
Game 10 of the 1966 championship shows Petrosian’s attacking side: he gives up both rooks during a coordinated assault.
Read the position
Every move sets the scene.
Use the controls to explore the full game, or select an annotated moment below. Each explanation describes the position immediately after its highlighted move.
Complete move list 30 moves
The journey
A remarkable path.
Petrosian defeated Botvinnik in 1963 and defended his crown against Spassky in 1966, before losing their second championship match in 1969. His defensive technique and ability to anticipate opposing plans earned him the nickname Iron Tigran. [1]
Explore the championship record →The championship record
Time with the crown.
- 1963–1969Open world championship
Reigns are periods of title ownership, not a count of championship victories. Open-ended reigns reflect the record checked on 18 October 2026.
Sources & credits
Biographical details and title records checked . Country connections describe the player’s career and background, rather than a live federation listing.
Portrait: Harry Pot / Anefo · CC0. Displayed in monochrome and cropped.
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