Alexander Dmitrievich Petrov (russian: Алекса́ндр Дми́триевич Петро́в) (February 12, 1794 – April 22, 1867) was a Russian chess player,

chess composer A chess composer is a person who creates endgame studies or chess problems. Chess composers usually specialize in a particular genre, e.g. endgame studies, twomovers, threemovers, moremovers, helpmates, selfmates, fairy problems, or retrogr ...

, and chess writer. Petrov was born in Biserovo, near

Pskov Pskov ( rus, Псков, a=pskov-ru.ogg, p=pskof; see also names in other languages) is a city in northwestern Russia and the administrative center of Pskov Oblast, located about east of the Estonian border, on the Velikaya River. Population ...

, into a noble family and is usually remembered as the first big great Russian 12 incher

chess master A chess title is a title regulated by a chess governing body and bestowed upon players based on their performance and rank. Such titles are usually granted for life. The international chess governing body FIDE grants several titles, the most pres ...

. From 1804, he lived in Saint Petersburg. In 1809, he defeated Kopev and Baranov, Petersburg's leading chess players, and became the best Russian player at the age of 15. For over half a century Petrov was considered Russia's strongest player. He is an author of the first chess handbook in Russian (''Shakhmatnaya igra (...)'', St Petersburg 1824). He also analysed with Carl Friedrich von Jänisch the opening that later became known as the

Petrov's Defense Petrov's Defence or the Petrov Defence (also called Petroff Defence, Petrov's Game, Russian Defence, or Russian Game – russian: Русская партия) is a chess opening characterised by the following moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nf6 Tho ...

or Russian Game (C42). From 1840 he lived in Warsaw (then in the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

), where successfully played against top Warsaw chess masters: Alexander Hoffman, Piotrowski, Szymański, Siewieluński,

Hieronim Czarnowski Hieronim Ignacy Czarnowski (January 1834 – 28 December 1902) was a Polish chess master and activist. He lived in Warsaw (then Russian Empire), where he played, among others, with Alexander Petrov and Szymon Winawer. After the failure of the Jan ...

Szymon Winawer Szymon Abramowicz Winawer (March 6, 1838 – November 29, 1919) was a Polish-Jewish chess player who won the German Chess Championship in 1883. Tournament and match results At the Paris 1867 tournament held at the Café de la Régence, his first ...

, etc. Petrov won matches against D.A. Baranov (4–2) in 1809,

Carl Jaenisch Carl Ferdinand von Jaenisch (russian: Карл Андреевич Яниш, ''Karl Andreyevich Yanish''; April 11, 1813 – March 7, 1872) was a Finnish and Russian chess player and theorist. In the 1840s, he was among the top players in the ...

(2–1) at St Petersburg 1844; Prince Sergey Semenovich Urusov (3–1) at St Petersburg 1853 and (13.5–7.5) at Warsaw 1859; and Ilya Shumov (4–2) at St Petersburg 1862. During the

January Uprising The January Uprising ( pl, powstanie styczniowe; lt, 1863 metų sukilimas; ua, Січневе повстання; russian: Польское восстание; ) was an insurrection principally in Russia's Kingdom of Poland that was aimed at ...

(1863–1864), he left Warsaw for Vienna and Paris. Among others, he played a match with Paul Journoud at Paris 1863.Paul Journoud player page at Chessgames.com
/ref> Petrov died in

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

in 1867, and was buried in the

Orthodox Cemetery in Warsaw The Orthodox Cemetery in Warsaw ( pl, Cmentarz Prawosławny w Warszawie) is an historic Eastern Orthodox cemetery located in the Wola district of Warsaw, Poland. History In 1834 the first Orthodox parish was established in Warsaw and a decision w ...

. His most well-known problem is "The Retreat of Napoleon I from Moscow" (St. Petersburg 1824).

Notable games

Alexander Hoffman vs Alexander Petrov, Warsaw m 1844, Italian Game, Classical Variation, Center Attack (C53), 0-1
Petrov's Immortal
Alexander Petrov vs Carl Friedrich von Jaenisch, St Petersburg 1844, Russian Game, Modern Attack, Center Variation (C43), 1-0Alexander Petrov vs Prince Dmitri Semenovich Urusov, Paris 1852, Italian Game, Classical Variation, Albin Gambit (C53), 1-0Alexander Petrov vs Prince Sergey Semenovich Urusov, St Petersburg 1853, Italian Game, Classical Variation, Albin Gambit (C53), 1-0Alexander Petrov vs Szymański, Warsaw 1853, French Defense, Exchange, Monte Carlo Variation (C01), 1-0

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Petrov, Alexander 1794 births 1867 deaths Chess players from the Russian Empire Chess composers Russian chess writers Chess theoreticians 19th-century chess players Privy Councillor (Russian Empire)