LaviChess

Petrosian vs. Spassky, Game 10

Tigran Petrosian was known for giving a rook for a minor piece. In the tenth game of the world championship match against Boris Spassky he does it twice, and in the end he gives up his queen as well.

  • WhiteTigran Petrosian
  • BlackBoris Spassky
  • WhereMoscow
  • WhenSpring 1966
  • Event1966 World Championship match, game 10
  • Result1–0, White won
  • OpeningKing's Indian Defense, Fianchetto Variation (E63)
  • Length30 moves

In the spring of 1966, Tigran Petrosian defended his title against Boris Spassky in Moscow. The match was over 24 games and was played between April 9 and June 9.

The first six games were drawn. Petrosian won the seventh, and before the tenth he led 5–4. He had the white pieces.

The players

Tigran Petrosian (1929–1984) was born in Tbilisi, Georgia, to Armenian parents and had been world champion since 1963. He was a master of defense and lost very rarely. His trademark was the exchange sacrifice: giving a rook for a bishop or knight to take control of important squares.

Boris Spassky (1937–2025) from Leningrad was 29. He had won the Candidates matches, beating Mikhail Tal in the final. Three years later he would take the title from Petrosian.

Read more about Tigran Petrosian and Boris Spassky among the great chess players.

The game move by move

Step through with the arrows or tap a move. Moves with a dot have a comment.

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Tigran Petrosian has the white pieces, Boris Spassky the black.

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Play like Petrosian

Guess the moves Petrosian played, one at a time. The move from the game earns two points, and a move Lavi thinks is about as good earns one. The other side's moves and the game's notes come as you go.

Play like PetrosianPlay like Spassky

The moments that decided it

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After 21.Ne3: Petrosian lets the bishop take the rook on f1. The first exchange sacrifice.
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After 24.Rxf4: the second exchange sacrifice.
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After 30.Qh8+: the queen is sacrificed. After 30…Kxh8 the knight forks king and queen.

The end

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The final position after 30.Qh8+. Black resigned after 30.Qh8+.

Why the game is famous

Petrosian was known for exchange sacrifices that were not meant as attacks, but as a way to take control of important squares. Here he sacrifices twice in the same game, goes on the attack and finishes with a fork after a queen sacrifice, with the world title at stake.

The win gave Petrosian a two-point lead. He won the match 12½–11½ and became the first reigning world champion to win a title match since Alekhine beat Bogoljubov in 1934. Three years later they met again, and this time Spassky won.

The whole game with notes, as text

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. Bg2 O-O The King's Indian Defense: both sides have put their bishops on g2 and g7. 5. O-O Nc6 6. Nc3 d6 7. d4 a6 8. d5 Na5 9. Nd2 c5 10. Qc2 e5 11. b3 Ng4 12. e4 f5 Black pushes his kingside pawns, and the lines open up. 13. exf5 gxf5 14. Nd1 b5 15. f3 e4 16. Bb2 exf3 17. Bxf3 Bxb2 18. Qxb2 Ne5 19. Be2 f4 20. gxf4 Bh3 The bishop attacks the rook on f1. 21. Ne3 The first exchange sacrifice. Petrosian lets the rook go and brings his knight to a better square instead. It is also the strongest move in the position. 21… Bxf1 22. Rxf1 White has given a rook for a bishop. Now Black has no bishops left, while White still has his bishop on the light squares. 22… Ng6 23. Bg4 Nxf4 Spassky takes the pawn, but it is a mistake. With 23…Qf6 he would have held up much better. Now comes the second exchange sacrifice. 24. Rxf4 The second exchange sacrifice: the rook takes the knight on f4. After 24…Rxf4 White has given two rooks for a bishop and a knight, but now he goes on the attack. 24… Rxf4 25. Be6+ Check, and the rook has to step in on f7. 25… Rf7 26. Ne4 Qh4 27. Nxd6 The knight lands on d6 and attacks the rook on f7, which is already pinned to the king. 27… Qg5+ 28. Kh1 Ra7 29. Bxf7+ The bishop takes the rook with check. 29… Rxf7 30. Qh8+ The queen sacrifice, and the only move that wins. After 30…Kxh8 31.Nxf7+ the knight forks the king and the black queen on g5, and White wins the queen. Spassky resigned.

PGN – the game as text for other chess programs
[Event "1966 World Championship match, game 10"]
[Site "Moscow"]
[Date "1966.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tigran Petrosian"]
[Black "Boris Spassky"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E63"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. O-O Nc6 6. Nc3 d6 7. d4 a6 8. d5 Na5 9. Nd2 c5 10. Qc2 e5 11. b3 Ng4 12. e4 f5 13. exf5 gxf5 14. Nd1 b5 15. f3 e4 16. Bb2 exf3 17. Bxf3 Bxb2 18. Qxb2 Ne5 19. Be2 f4 20. gxf4 Bh3 21. Ne3 Bxf1 22. Rxf1 Ng6 23. Bg4 Nxf4 24. Rxf4 Rxf4 25. Be6+ Rf7 26. Ne4 Qh4 27. Nxd6 Qg5+ 28. Kh1 Ra7 29. Bxf7+ Rxf7 30. Qh8+ 1-0

Download .pgn

Sources

  • PGN Mentor, Petrosian.pgn
  • Mark Weeks: 1966 Title Match Game 10, Petrosian – Spassky
  • Wikipedia: Tigran Petrosian
  • Wikipedia: List of chess games
  • Wikipedia: World Chess Championship 1966

The moves compared in three sources (PGN Mentor, Mark Weeks, Wikipedia): identical, 59 half-moves. Spassky resigned after 30.Qh8+. The match score before the game is counted from PGN Mentor's file of all the match games. We have not found the exact day of the game; the match was played between April 9 and June 9, 1966. Every move has also been replayed by computer and checked against the rules of chess.

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Updated November 14, 2026