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Chess Strategy and Tactics:Tigran Petrosian's Amazing Games
Rating: 4.8 out of 5(22 ratings)
381 students

Chess Strategy and Tactics:Tigran Petrosian's Amazing Games

Learn from Tigran Petrosian's Chess Games: Mastering Prophylaxis and Resilient Defence, Important Tactics and Strategies
Created byTryfon Gavriel
Last updated 4/2025
English

What you'll learn

  • Be able to see how to avoid losing chess games - especially useful if you really hate the pain of losing!
  • Be able to use counterplay reduction plans and prophylaxis, overprotection and restraint to help ensure you do not lose
  • Be able to see the dynamic pawn structures like Hanging Pawns in action
  • Be able to understand more closed and semi-closed positions and their strategies
  • Be able to play the Torre Attack - a relative of the London system through seeing Petrosian's amazing examples
  • Be able to appreciate Petrosian's amazing tactical strength and almost cat-light ability to land on his feet from seemingly difficult positions
  • Be able to see Tigran Petrosian as an exciting attack player - especially with the emphasis of this course on Petrosian's shorter wins :)
  • Be able to see how one of the hardest players historically is so resourceful and tenacious in defence
  • Be able to play "simple chess" and welcome queens coming off if no counterplay for opponent
  • Be able to play the Black side of the winawer with Petrosian's pet move b6 instead of c5
  • Be able to appreciate a World champion who persisted and was leading Kasparov 2 to zero before health issues and Kasparov later equalised their match record
  • Be able to play super solid variations of the french defence which can neutralise even Mikhail Tal
  • Be able to understand more the Nimozvichian concept of "Restrain, Blockade, Destroy"
  • Be able to understand more the Nimzovichian concept of prophylaxis through mysterious rook moves, blockade, and overprotection
  • Be able to understand more the concept of positional security in terms of handling threats even before they are conceived by opponent akin to installing alarms
  • Be able to understand that Petrosian played original and interesting chess and a fair number of chess miniatures
  • Be able to play the Petrosian variation against the King's indian defence which is also a favourite of Vladimir Kramnik
  • Be able to value and appreciate the importance of solid openings even at faster time controls. Experience great french defence, caro-kann examples
  • Be able to appreciate that despite Petrosian's quiet style, at his heart he was a major tactician
  • Be able to appreciate a defensive use of tactics to create pitfalls and traps for opponents in promising positions
  • Be able to appreciate some similarities in style and philosophy to Nimzovich who was one of his role models
  • Be able to play for win like Petrosian without taking inappropriate risks
  • Be able to appreciate the principle of flexibility - making the move you know is essential first to keep all other options open
  • Be able to appreciate that often less pieces means less counterplay and less complexity
  • Be able to appreciate the importance of pawn breaks especially when stakes are high in World championship match games
  • Be able to appreciate how having fewer pawn islands can be an advantage and be used for example to reduce counterplay and get great knight placements
  • Be able to appreciate the importance of the "follow up moves" - in terms of plans sometimes being more important than technically more correct moves
  • Be able to appreciate that a central pawn island of 1 pawn when 3 pawn islands can shield a central knight from frontal pressure
  • Be able to appreciate more Spassky's comment after losing in the 1966 World Championship match that Petrosian was "first and foremost a stupendous tactician"
  • Be able to appreciate a more scientific angle on chess with less speculation to find "order and reason" on the chess board at least in a crazy world
  • Be able to see how to play against and with different pawn structures
  • Be able to neutralise tactical players more effectively by emulating Petrosian's opening choices and playing style to reduce opponent's counterplay
  • Be able to see the strength of play behind an eight time candidate World champion and 6 year world champion

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Course content

43 sections • 165 lectures • 28h 41m total length

  • Introduction to course - why Petrosian and Petrosian style metaphors13:49

    Explore Petrosian's risk reduction, prophylactic style and his emphasis on solid pawn structures, pawn breaks, and tactical exchanges that turn defensive positions into advantages.

  • Tigran Petrosian Creature Metaphors and Stylistic Defaults12:30
  • Tigran Petrosian Quotations - Part 1 of 210:22

    Extract and articulate key takeaways from Petrosian's quotations, emphasizing evolving rules through useful exceptions, the balance of tactics and positional play, and a logical, exploit-driven approach to chess.

  • Tigran Petrosian Quotations - Part 2 of 29:18

    Explore Tigran Petrosian's quotes on intuition, form, and cautious play, and see how chess blends art, science, and sport with logical decision making.

  • Modern player perspective Quotations on Tigran Petrosian6:22

    Modern grandmasters praise Tigran Petrosian for harmonious positions and inner energy, highlighting his defensive mastery, precise tactics, and balance between quiet openings and decisive counterplay.

  • Contemporary player perspective Quotations on Tigran Petrosian4:30

    Explore contemporary quotes on Tigran Petrosian, praising his iron defense and unbeatability. Learn how Spassky and Makoto describe his adaptable, prophylaxis-driven, strategically deep play.

  • Opening Preferences with White and against 1.e411:29

    This lecture analyzes Tigran Petrosian’s opening preferences with white and against 1.e4, highlighting his favored 1.d4 and 1.c4 systems, hypermodern ideas, and his strong French defense when black.

  • Opening preferences with Black against 1.d4 and 1.d4 Nf6 2.c45:31

    Explore Petrosian's black responses to 1.d4, centered on f6 in a hypermodern style, with d5, g6, e6, and insights from Nimzowitsch and the Queen's Indian Defense.

  • The tactical nature of Tigran Petrosian9:33

    Explore Tigran Petrosian's tactical approach, highlighting precise, risk-aware tactics, prophylaxis, restraint, and pinning that balance tactical play with strong positional understanding.

  • The prophylaxis side of Tigran Petrosian (Jansa example)11:56
  • Prophylaxis and Binding to stop opponent's pawn breaks2:52
  • Prophylaxis and counterplay removal introduction8:23

    Study prophylaxis and counterplay removal, from dutch stonewall structures to counterplay crushing exemplified by Michael Adams, prioritizing least counterplay options and solid positions.

  • Simplification and counterplay removal9:20

    Apply simplification and counterplay removal to convert a small positional edge into a risk-free win in high-stakes games, using prophylaxis and pawn-structure ideas from Petrosian.

  • Game selection criteria and analysis priorities10:18

    Explore Petrosian's game selection criteria and analysis priorities, focusing on wins, key world championship and elite games, and using strong engine analysis to uncover concrete tactical and strategic truths.

  • Petrosian, Nimzovich, Art of War, and accurate follow ups!9:39

Requirements

  • Know how the chess pieces move

Description

Immerse yourself in the strategic brilliance of Tigran Petrosian, often hailed as one of the most sophisticated World Chess Champions. Known for his expertise in exchange sacrifice, prophylaxis, and preventative strategies, Petrosian, aka "Iron Tigran", exhibited unparalleled consistency and resourcefulness, making him notoriously difficult to defeat.

This course delves into the world of Petrosian, highlighting his unique playstyle and extraordinary contributions to chess. Reputed as the 'first defender with a capital D' by Vladimir Kramnik, Petrosian's style has left a deep imprint on generations of players. Despite his affinity for draws, his exciting victories showcase a meticulously calculated and risk-free style, offering a refreshing approach to the game.

We carefully curate the most riveting victories from Petrosian's career, showcasing how the chessboard can be a place of logic and control, rather than luck and chance. Inspired by Nimzovich and Capablanca, Petrosian's style underlines the power of gradual advantage accumulation, reducing unnecessary risks, and maintaining control.

Petrosian's legacy goes beyond his lifetime, with his triumphs celebrated in numerous memorial tournaments worldwide. His extraordinary achievements include his victories in two World Championship matches against Botwinnik and Spassky, four Soviet Championship titles, match wins against notable players like Kasparov, Fischer, Karpov, and an impressive overall performance in Olympiad play.

This course prioritizes Petrosian's shorter wins and essential games to offer you a comprehensive understanding of his depth and positional wisdom. Join us in this journey to uncover the secrets of Petrosian's resilient and strategic play, and learn to imbue your games with a touch of 'Iron Tigran' brilliance.

Who this course is for:

  • All chess players

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