Tigran Petrosian, Master of Defence: Petrosian's Best Games of Chess, 1946-63

by Peter H. Clarke and P.H. Clarke

Book Overview

The chess career of the former World Champion, Tigran Petrosian, is studied in this book through 60 of his best games, covering the period from 1946 to 1963, when he won the world title. Modern players can learn much from his approach to the game, which was based on iron will-power and tenacious defensive qualities.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0713469005
• ISBN13: 9780713469004
• Release Date: January 1992
• Publisher: B.T. Batsford
• Length: 205 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Please, get born again, Petrosian!

For me, Petrosian was (is) the best ever. This book is a unique masterpiece. Strategy, steel nerves, beauty, its all there! A must-have book!

Staggeringly beautiful work of chess literature

I kind of stumbled on this book, while looking for anything on Petrosian. I took a chance on this when I found it somehwere on the 'net for six bucks. I now consider it the best six bucks I ever spent. Clarke is an astonishingly good chess writer. He lays out plans and ideas behind moves better than anyone else I have read. I had no idea he was so good. After going through about four of the games in this book, I quickly bought his book on Tal. I figured if anyone could make sense of Tal's games to me, it was Clarke. I was right! Anyway, this book on Petrosian is such a joy to go through and study, that I cannot believe it is out of print and relatively unknown. To the mass of club players who enjoy reading Silman, Nunn, Purdy, Stean, Harding, etc., this book should be on your shelf, even though you probably don't know it. In my 400+ book collection, I rank this one among the top five, along with Edward Lasker: Chess self-tutor; Kasparov's The Test of Time; Stohl's Modern Instructive Masterpieces, and SIlman's Amateur's Mind.

the best coverage up to 1963 of Tigran the Tiger

Until the recent appearance of Crouch's How to DEFEND IN CHESS, this was the best work re the 1963-1969 champ. Petrosian was never exactly the absolute best player in the world he was the toughest to beat, with the deepest strategic mind. The book covers 60 games with thorough notes relying heavily on Clarke's willingness to search out the Russian sources of the time. He paints a portrait of Georgian kid with talent gores to Moscow, improves,succeeds, stumbles, learns and finally gets the shot at the title and wins = nice biographic notes and career coverage which really covers best part of Petrosians career. It does leave out what later years are the odd thrown game by his opponet and the inside deal with Geller and Keres to draw with each other and thus freeze Korchnoi and Fischer out of their chances in the final qualifier for the title shot, yes there was sometimes corruption in the Moscow chess scene in the 50-70's and Tigran was in on it. But this is still a great book, which i have read regularly since i bought it 30 years ago - combined with the Crouch book a player can learn a lot, but this book is best read by 1600 ratedplayers and above and best understood by 2000 and above players as these games strech your knowledge in all phases of the games and the great notes are critical to understanding the play. I recomend the Crouch book to futher your knowledge and to better appreciate how deep his combinational vision was and be aware that Petrosian is basically a follower of Nimzovich. Final warning do not try to copy the Petrosian style of play - as it will harm your creative growth = e.g. try to be too defensive and a risk of too many draws (the book does not fully explain how at first Petrosian learned to attack as a young player and his style was partly a way to cope with the really aggressive play of Tolush, Spassky, Geller, Tal, etc, just learn the ideas and incorporate these defensive tricks, opening tactics, strategic sacrifices like the exchange of rook for bishop or knight, play on black or white square complexes, and endgame power into your game. If you want an easy chess book stay away from this one, but for thinking value for money, some history of the great period of Soviet chess this is a great book.

Absolutely brilliant strategy book.

This is by far the best chess book written on the chess approach of Petrosian. The price of the book is certainly low for the value of its information. While many people strive to reach chess mastery through the tactical approach, Petrosian was content to achieve his aims through strategy, building his position carefully and avoiding unnecessary complications. In the Deep Blue era, this may well be the best approach to chess. Petrosian had never shied away from unpopular moves; his basic approach being to do what the position requires, in the simplest way possible. There are no tactical bluffs in his games(unlike Kasparov's whom he trounced heavily in 1981-see first pages- showing how easily as well as the way he can be beaten). Before Karpov, there was no other positional player like Petrosian. Lets not forget, only two players ever beat Petrosian in a match: Spassky and Fischer, the two best players of all times. Even today Petrosian Wouldn't lose a match t! o any other players(Karpov included) So the book seems to be the best guide for the 21 century against computers. Since none can come close to Spassky and Fischer the best way to meet computers is to adopt the Petrosian approach of prophylaxy and perpetual improvement of one's position. Incidently in this way future challengers could make short work of Kasparov and other chess bluffers. In the end, soundness of play is the best way to play chess. Studying this book closely, is sure to improve the chess strenght and deepen the understanding of the game for players of all strengths. Once again the book is a must read for all serious chess players. Among the players of the world only Fischer beat Petrosian in a match using strictly positional means.