Editing Tigran Petrosian (section)

== Playing style ==
{{Algebraic notation|pos=section}}

Petrosian was a conservative, cautious, and highly defensive chess player who was strongly influenced by [[Aron Nimzowitsch]]'s idea of [[prophylaxis (chess)|prophylaxis]]. He made more effort to prevent his opponent's offensive capabilities than he did to make use of his own, and very rarely went on the offensive unless he felt his position was completely secure.{{Sfn|Saidy|1972|pp=102–04}} He usually won by playing consistently until an overly aggressive opponent made a mistake, securing victory by capitalizing upon this mistake without revealing any weaknesses of his own. This style of play often led to [[draw (chess)|draw]]s, especially against other players who preferred to counterattack. Nonetheless, his patience and mastery of defence made him extremely difficult to defeat. He was undefeated at the 1952 and 1955 [[Interzonal]]s, and in 1962 he did not lose a single tournament game. Petrosian's consistent ability to avoid defeat earned him the nickname "Iron Tigran."{{sfn|Schonberg|1973|p=245}} He was considered to be the hardest player to beat in the history of chess by the authors of a 2004 book,{{sfn|Edmonds|Eidinow|2004|p=48}} and future World Champion [[Vladimir Kramnik]] called him "the first defender with a capital D".<ref name="Kramnik">{{cite web |last=Barsky |first=Vladimir |title=Kramnik&nbsp;– Interviews |url=http://www.kramnik.com/eng/interviews/getinterview.aspx?id=61 |website=Kramnik.com |date=15 May 2005 |access-date=8 April 2010}}</ref>

Petrosian preferred to play {{chessgloss|Closed Game|closed}} openings that did not commit his pieces to any particular [[Chess strategy|plan]]. As black, Petrosian enjoyed playing the [[Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation]]{{sfn|Saidy|1972|pp=104–06}} and the [[French Defence]]. As white, he often played the [[English Opening]].<ref>[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=16149 Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian] on ChessGames.com</ref> Petrosian would often move the same piece multiple times in a few moves, confusing his opponents in the [[Chess opening|opening]] and threatening draws by [[threefold repetition]] in the [[Chess endgame|endgame]]. In a game against [[Mark Taimanov]] during the 1955 [[USSR Chess Championship]], Petrosian moved the same [[rook (chess)|rook]] six times in a 24-move game, with four of those moves occurring on consecutive turns.{{sfn|Saidy|1972|pp=106–08}}<ref>[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1106293 Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian vs Mark Taimanov] on ChessGames.com</ref> He had a strong affinity for knights rather than bishops, a characteristic that is often attributed to the influence of [[Aron Nimzowitsch]].{{sfn|Clarke|1964|p=6}}

A number of illustrative [[metaphor]]s 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."{{sfn|Schonberg|1973|p=245}} He has been described as a [[centipede]] lurking in the dark,{{sfn|Schonberg|1973|p=245}} a [[tiger]] looking for the opportunity to pounce, a [[Python (genus)|python]] who slowly squeezes his victims to death,{{sfn|Saidy|1972|pp=102–04}} and as a [[crocodile]] who waits for hours to make a decisive strike.<ref name="Standpoint">{{cite news |last=Lawson |first=Dominic |title=Armenian Artist |url=http://standpointmag.com/node/1639/full |url-status=dead |date=May 2009 | publisher = Standpoint |access-date=12 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716130848/http://standpointmag.com/node/1639/full  |archive-date=16 July 2011}}</ref> [[Boris Spassky]], who succeeded Petrosian as World Chess Champion, described his style of play thus: "Petrosian reminds me of a [[hedgehog]]. Just when you think you have caught him, he puts out his quills."{{sfn|Saidy|1972|pp=102–04}}

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".{{sfn|Schonberg|1973|p=243}} 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."{{sfn|Schonberg|1973|p=245}} Petrosian responded to his criticisms by saying: "They say my games should be more 'interesting'. I could be more 'interesting'—and also lose."{{sfn|Saidy|1972|pp=102–04}} 

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 second or third. However, his style was extremely effective in matches.<ref name="WinningChessStrategies">{{cite book |last=Seirawan |first=Yasser |title=Winning Chess Strategies |year=2005 |publisher=Microsoft Press |isbn=978-1857443851}}</ref> 

Petrosian could also occasionally play in an attacking, sacrificial style. In his 1966 match with Spassky, he won [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1106720 Game 7] and [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1106725 Game 10] 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.)<ref name="Tigran Petrosian's Best Games">{{cite web |title=Tigran Petrosian's Best Games |url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chesscollection?cid=1014968 |website=chessgames.com |access-date=21 December 2013}}</ref>

=== The positional exchange sacrifice ===
Petrosian was known for his use of the "[[The exchange (chess)#The exchange sacrifice|positional exchange sacrifice]]", where one side sacrifices a rook for the opponent's bishop or knight. Kasparov discussed Petrosian's use of this motif:
{{quote|Petrosian introduced the exchange sacrifice for the sake of 'quality of position', where [[Initiative (chess)|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.{{sfn|Kasparov|2004|p=12}}}}

{{Chess diagram small
| tright
| Reshevsky vs. Petrosian, 1953
|  |  |  |rd|qd|  |kd|
|  |  |  |  |rd|pd|pd|pd
|  |  |nd|  |  |  |bd|
| pd|pd|  |  |pl|  |  |
|  |  |pd|pl|  |ql|bl|
| pl|  |pl|  |rl|  |  |
|  |bl|  |  |  |  |pl|pl
|  |  |  |  |rl|  |kl|
| Position after 25.Rfe1
|reverse=true
}}

One of Petrosian's most famous examples of the positional exchange sacrifice is from his game against [[Samuel Reshevsky]] in Zurich 1953<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1106248|title=Samuel Reshevsky vs Tigran V Petrosian (1953)|website=chessgames.com}}</ref> ({{em|diagram}}). Reshevsky, as White, appears to have an advantage due to his strong {{chessgloss|pawn centre}}, which may become mobile after Bf3 and d4–d5. Petrosian realized he was in a difficult position because of the passive placement of his pieces, relegated to defensive roles. He further understood that White might also advance on the {{chessgloss|kingside}} with h2–h4–h5, provoking weaknesses that would make it more difficult to defend later on. Faced with these threats, Petrosian devised a plan to maneuver his knight to the square d5, where it would be prominently placed in the centre and blockade the advance of White's pawns.

:'''25... Re6{{chesspunc|!}}'''

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 {{chessgloss|queenside}} pawn {{chessgloss|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.{{sfn|Petrosian|1990|pp=68–69}}

=== Contributions to opening theory ===

{{Chess diagram small
|tright
|[[King's Indian Defence|KID]], Petrosian System
|rd|nd|bd|qd|  |rd|kd|
|pd|pd|pd|  |  |pd|bd|pd
|  |  |  |pd|  |nd|pd|
|  |  |  |pl|pd|  |  |
|  |  |pl|  |pl|  |  |
|  |  |nl|  |  |nl|  |
|pl|pl|  |  |bl|pl|pl|pl
|rl|  |bl|ql|kl|  |  |rl
|1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.d5
}}

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 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.d5.<ref>[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessopening?eco=E93 King's Indian, Petrosian System] on ChessGames.com</ref><ref>[https://www.chess.com/openings/Kings-Indian-Defense-Petrosian-Variation King's Indian Defense, Petrosian Variation] on Chess.com</ref> This variation closes the centre early in the game. One of the tactical ideas for White is to play Bg5, pinning Black's knight to his queen. Black can respond by either moving his queen (usually ...Qe8) or by playing ...h6, though the latter move weakens Black's kingside [[pawn structure]].{{sfn|Gufeld|Schiller|2000|p=140}} Two of Black's responses to the Petrosian Variation were developed by grandmasters [[Paul Keres]] and [[Leonid Stein]]. The Keres Variation arises after 7...Nbd7 8.Bg5 h6 9.Bh4 g5 10.Bg3 Nh5 11.h4, and the Stein Variation begins an immediate queenside offensive with 7...a5.{{sfn|Gufeld|Schiller|2000|pp=140–42}}

The [[Queen's Indian Defence]] also has a variation developed by Petrosian: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.a3,<ref>[https://www.chess.com/openings/Queens-Indian-Defense-Petrosian-Variation Queen's Indian Defense, Petrosian Variation] on Chess.com</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.365chess.com/opening.php?m=7&n=21&ms=d4.Nf6.c4.e6.Nf3.b6&ns=7.14.11.33.21.21|title=E12: Queen's Indian defence – 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 – Chess Opening explorer|website=www.365chess.com}}</ref>

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,<ref>[https://www.chess.com/openings/Grunfeld-Defense-Petrosian-System Gruenfeld Defense: Three Knights Variation, Petrosian System] on Chess.com</ref> and the [[French Defence]] after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 Qd7.<ref>[https://www.chess.com/openings/French-Defense-Winawer-Advance-Petrosian-Variation French Defense: Winawer Variation, Petrosian Variation] on Chess.com</ref> 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.{{sfn|Karpov|Beliavsky|1994|p=needed}}