Tigran, Tigran, burning bright

This year Tigran Petrosian would have celebrated his 90th birthday. The Armenian grandmaster and world champion was noted for the profundity and originality of his strategic concepts, as well as his quasi-invincibility in high level contests. He was certainly my role model when I was a student of chess in my teens, a chess hero to emulate along with Aron Nimzowitsch, Richard Reti, Alexander Alekhine and Mikhail Botvinnik.
 
Petrosian-Gligoric: Zagreb 1965; Grunfeld Defence
 
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 Nf3 Bg7 5 e3 0-0 6 Bd2 c6 7 Be2 Ne4 8 0-0 Nxd2 9 Qxd2 e6 10 cxd5 exd5 11 b4 In this structure White plans to establish an enduring bind on the queenside. 11 … Nd7 12 b5 Nf6 13 bxc6 bxc6 14 Na4 Bf5 15 Bd3 Ne4 16 Qc2 The c-file is White’s playground. 16 … Rc8 17 Rac1 Re8 18 Nc5 Bf8 19 Bxe4 dxe4 20 Ne5 Bg7 21 Nc4 The knights are better than the bishops in this position as they, unlike Black’s minor pieces, reach annoyingly into the hostile camp from their advanced outposts.