Tigran Petrosian (World Champion 1963-1969) is not a tiger that sprints after its prey, but rather a python that constricts its victim. Tigran Petrosian (1929-1984) can be seen as the midwife of healthy pragmatism. He was the first defender in the truest sense of the word, demonstrating that almost any position can be held. Boris Spassky (World Champion 1969-1972) was the first truly universal chess player. Born in 1937 in Leningrad, Boris Spassky is one of the greatest natural talents in the history of chess. At his peak, he was a master of glamorous, impactful attacks.