Alexander Petrov

Who was Alexander Petrov?

Alexander Dmitrievich Petrov was a Russian chess player, chess composer, and chess writer.

Petrov was born into a noble family and is usually remembered as the first great Russian chess master. From 1804, he lived in Saint Petersburg. In 1809, he defeated Kopev and Baranov, Petersburg’s leading chess players, and became Russian best 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. He also analysed with Carl Friedrich von Jänisch the opening that later became known as the Petrov's Defense or Russian Game.

From 1840 he lived in Warsaw, where successfully played against top Warsaw chess masters: Alexander Hoffman, Piotrowski, Szymański, Siewieluński, Hieronim Czarnowski, Szymon Winawer, etc.

Petrov won matches against D.A. Baranov in 1809, Carl Jaenisch at St Petersburg 1844; Prince Sergey Semenovich Urusov at St Petersburg 1853 and at Warsaw 1859; and Ilya Shumov at St Petersburg 1862.