Alexander Petrov

Alexander Dmitrievich Petrov (February 12, 1794 – April 22, 1867) was a Russian chess player, chess composer, and chess writer. Biography Petrov was born in Biserovo, near Pskov, 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 Baranov while in 1814, he defeated Kopev, 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 Jaenisch the opening that later became known as the Petrov's Defense or Russian Game (C42). From 1840 he lived in Warsaw (then in the Russian Empire), where successfully played against top Warsaw chess masters: Alexander Hoffman, Piotrowski, Szymański, Siewieluński, Hieronim Czarnowski, Szymon Winawer, etc.