Petrosian, Tigran Vartanovich (1929-1984)

9th World Champion, 1963 - 1969

Born in 1929 in Tbilisi, Georgia. He was greatly influenced by Nimzovitch's theories and his play was deeply prophylactic, preventing any plans his opponents might come up with. He didn't strive for the initiative, seeking scope for maneuver rather than sharp play. He preferred to keep positions closed where he could quietly fight for the control of key squares and slowly improving the position of his pieces. His style of play made his games less accessible which caused him to be one of the least popular of the World Champions.
In 1963 Petrosian won the match against Botvinnik with a final score of 5 to 2 with 15 draws, securing the title of World Chess Champion. Three years after he was challenged by Boris Spassky and successfully defended his title.