Defend Like Petrosian

Only the best dared to play to beat Tigran Petrosian. The ninth world champion was extremely difficult to beat because his defensive techniques were virtually incomparable. In the rare event that someone managed to get him into trouble, he was in grave danger of facing a cruel counterattack.

Former Russian champion Alexey Bezgodov explains to a wide range of players how they can employ the "Tiger" skills. How to deal with pressure, how to anticipate threats or get your king out of danger even if he feels like you're walking into a minefield. That he should not hesitate to forego an exchange or wreck his own pawn structure if the position requires it. How to find unlikely decoys and start a counterattack. Contrary to what many chess fans think, the Armenian genius was a very dynamic defender!

This book aims to help amateur players improve their level of defensive play. Many training programmes lack a serious analysis of the art of defense. That explains why most club players are much better at attacking than facing adversity and tough positions. Defend Like Petrosian points the way to creative solutions and will help you save a lot of points.

Alexey Bezgodov is a former champion of Russia. He is the author of The Extreme Caro-Kann, The Liberated Bishop Defense Gambit and The Art of the Tarrasch Defense, four very original and acclaimed opening books.

PRAISE TO ALEXEY BEZGODOV

A gold mine of resources. I wholeheartedly recommend this book if you, like me, have had difficulty finding a solid opening, have rarely played lines and have a brilliantly written book to guide you". - Michael Mkpadi, ChessHot, on the art of Tarrasch defense

"Aggressive gamers looking for something new and fighting Caro-Kann may find this book just what they wanted, while Caro-Kann fans may want this book for the purpose of defending themselves". - Dennis Monokroussos, The Chess Mind, about The Extreme Caro-Kann