Today in #chesshistory
Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian.
Died on August 13, 1984. He was born on June 17, 1929 in Tbilisi, Georgia.
He was World Chess Champion 1963-1969.
Nicknamed "Iron Tigran" due to his almost impenetrable defensive playing style, which emphasised safety above all else.
Petrosian was a Candidate for the World Chess Championship on eight occasions (1953, 1956, 1959, 1962, 1971, 1974, 1977 and 1980).
He won the World Championship in 1963 (against Mikhail Botvinnik), successfully defended it in 1966 (against Boris Spassky), and lost it to Spassky in 1969. Thus he was the defending World Champion or a World Championship Candidate in ten consecutive three-year cycles. He won the Soviet Championship four times (1959, 1961, 1969, and 1975).
Petrosian died of stomach cancer on August 13, 1984, in Moscow and is buried in the Moscow Armenian Cemetery.
