Petrosian Tigran

Petrosian Tigran (1929–1984), Armenian chess player, the world and the USSR grand master (1952), Honored Master of Sports of the USSR (1960). The 9th world champion in the history of chess (1963 – 69). At the world chess championships he defeated M. Botvinnik (1963) and B. Spassky (1966).

T. Petrosian was born in Tbilisi, where he lived till 1948. In 1950 he moved to Moscow and settled there. He played chess at the Chess Club of Tbilisi Palace of Pioneers and Schoolchildren under the Master of Sports A. Ebralidze, whom he used to remember with gratitude: ‘My first instructor was Life itself, the second teacher was Master Archil Ebralidze; after them come Casablabca, Nimzowitsch …’ T. Petrosian was the Vice Champion of Tbilisi and Champion of Georgia (1945). He was a fourtimes winner of the title of the Champion of the USSR (1959, 1961, 1969, 1975), nine-times Champion of World Chess Olympics, Eight-times group Champion of European tournaments, etc. He was the Candidate of Philosophic Sciences (1960), author of the book Chess and Philosophy (1968).

T. Petrosian died in Moscow.