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Tigran Petrosian
The great defender on the attack: Petrosian beats Tal in the 1973 USSR championship.
The idea
The great defender goes on the attack against Tal in 1973.
- The pawn on c5 steps to c4 and hits the bishop on b3.
- If the bishop takes on c4, the knight takes the pawn on a4.
- Then the a-pawn is free to run at White’s king.
In a game: When the kings castle on opposite sides, push your pawns at the enemy king.
How the lesson begins
Tigran Petrosian was born in Tbilisi, Georgia, in 1929. He was famous for his defence: he saw his opponents’ plans early and stopped them before they could start. In 1963 he took the world title from Mikhail Botvinnik, kept it against Boris Spassky in 1966, and lost it to Spassky in 1969.
Here is a game from the USSR championship of 1973. Petrosian has Black against Mikhail Tal, and this time he is the one who attacks.
A Caro-Kann. Black pushes the a-pawn early, and White castles on the queenside, the side where that pawn is already moving.
- 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5. Bc4 Ngf6 6. Ng5 e6 7. Qe2 Nb6 8. Bb3 a5 Black pushes the a-pawn.
- 9. a4 h6 10. N5f3 c5 11. Bf4 Bd6 12. Be5 O-O 13. O-O-O White castles on the queenside.
Find the move
Black to move. Hit the bishop on b3 with a pawn.
A hint
Your c-pawn can step forward.
Show the answer
13... c4
13...c4 Tal took the pawn, 14.Bxc4, and Black took one back with 14...Nxa4. Now the a-pawn is free to run at White’s king.