This collection is part of Game Collection: Tal's Tournament and Matches 1949-1973

These are all the games Mikhail Tal played at the <USSR Republics Team Championship 1962>, in correct round order.1

This year's edition was held in Leningrad (20 Oct - 2 Nov).2 Since Latvia had finished 4th in the preceding 1960 republics championship, they were seeded directly into the finals.3,4 Tal, who had been suffering from a diseased kidney since the Tal - Botvinnik World Championship Rematch (1961), had only recently started to feel fit. He had just won the gold medal on 2d reserve board in the <Varna Olympiad>, a modest achievement that he nonetheless said "helped considerably in re-establishing my self confidence."5

As usual, Tal took 1st board for Latvia, opening in round 2 with a 19 move "grandmaster" draw against Boris Spassky. 1 In the ensuing rounds Tal played more aggressively, showing plenty of fight against Isaac Boleslavsky, Vladas Mikenas and Lev Polugaevsky, but failing to win a game. After resting with a leisurely draw against Paul Keres, Tal again bent himself to the task and took both Vasily Smyslov and Yuri Kots to the time control, but still no win to show for his efforts. After 7 rounds Tal had 7 draws! He joked that he had acquired a "reputation as a drawing king."5 In the final round he squared off against the candidate master Mikhail Shofman, who had 7 losses from 7 rounds, and Tal joked yet again that it would be interesting to see whose "pattern" broke first.5

Tal did not disappoint in the final game, saccing a pawn for a lively attack with a pretty finish, the move 22...Nf6-g4!

click for larger view

The win raised Tal's record to +1 -0 =7, which was good only for shared 6th with Boleslavsky on the 1st board final standings, behind Spassky, Efim Geller, Polugaevsky, Keres and Smyslov.3 As Tal put it, "the opposition on first board was... pretty strong."5 Latvia finished 4th, behind behind Leningrad, RSFSR and Moscow, ahead of Belarus, Ukraine, Estonia, Lithuania and Moldavia.3

Notes

1 Olimpbase "8th Soviet Team Chess Championship: Leningrad 1962- Estonia" http://www.olimpbase.org/1962st/196...

2 Di Felice, "Chess Results 1961-1963," p.243

3 Olimpbase "7th Soviet Team Chess Championship: Moscow 1960- Final Group" http://www.olimpbase.org/1960st/196...

4 Olimpbase "8th Soviet Team Chess Championship: Leningrad 1962-Basic Information" http://www.olimpbase.org/1962st/196...

5 Mikhail Tal, "The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal" (Cadogan 1997), p.235

===

More "Tal at the USSR Team Championships":

Game Collection: Tal at the USSR Clubs Team Championship 1954

Game Collection: Tal at the USSR Republics Team Championship 1955

Game Collection: Tal at the USSR Republics Team Championship 1959

Game Collection: Tal at the USSR Clubs Team Championship 1961

Game Collection: Tal at the USSR Republics Team Championship 1963

Game Collection: Tal at the USSR Clubs Team Championship 1964

Game Collection: Tal at the USSR Clubs Team Championship 1966

Game Collection: Tal at the USSR Republics Team Championship 1967

Game Collection: Tal at the USSR Clubs Team Championship 1968

Game Collection: Tal at the USSR Clubs Team Championship 1971

Game Collection: Tal at the USSR Republics Team Championship 1972