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| Nov-17-09 |
| whiskeyrebel: Tal made his own decisions about drinking and smoking. As a grown man he was entitled to such pleasures and others. |
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| Nov-18-09 |
| M.D. Wilson: Tal was never in good health, but despite this, he treated all those around him with compassion and respect. He loved life, although, ultimately, he had little of it. Yes, this was partly of his own making, but nevertheless Tal had a full and colourful life. One of the greats on and off the board. Tal reminds me of Ian Fleming in this regard. |
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Nov-18-09
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| talisman: <M.D Wilson> I agree. You know i was looking for a new Tal avatar, but there seems to be some kind of conspiracy, when it comes to new tal pictures. |
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| Nov-19-09 |
| Everett: Of course he has every right to live his life as he sees fit. It is remarkable, however, how many people seem to ignore his own responsibility for his poor health. It certainly wasn't all "poor luck," at some point. And why were players like Smyslov and Lasker so strong later in life? Well, we can say it was all luck and genetics, or we can go a little deeper and suggest the fruits of their success was also strongly influenced by prudent living. In short, I think it is sad for Tal that he treated his body as he did, but I do not feel the same about his "poor health." |
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| Nov-20-09 |
| M.D. Wilson: If Tal had the constitution of Botvinnik, just imagine! Then again, he wouldn't have been Tal. I'm sure sound health would have only helped his chess, though, as it seems ill health interrupted his career. |
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| Nov-20-09 |
| Everett: <MDWilson> I wonder how strong Botvinnik's constitution would be if he chain smoked and was a heavy drinker. |
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| Nov-21-09 |
| M.D. Wilson: My point exactly, Everett. Don't forget, Tal was addicted to morphine for some time as well. |
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| Dec-01-09 |
| drnooo: There were two players in the entire history of this game with absolutely arresting stares: Fischer and Tal. When they were still in their twenties and into their thirties. Tal might have been tops there: Pal Benko once had to put on dark glasses to avoid Tal's eyes, never Fischer's. There is another player with an early arresting stare. Kubrick of Stanley fame: he was not a bad player and his stare was so similar to Tal's there is a picture at some site actually claiming to be Tal. Do not be confused it is Kubrick. Capa, in some photos has a very hypnotic stare as well. Alekhine, well, yes, but not like these others. As for the rest they all look perfectly calm. Keres, for instance, good lord, the very essence of a gentleman. Never have I seen a single phote when he didn't look laid back. Somebody said about Keres that he coupld drop a piece and you[d never know it from looking at him. My hunch is Lasker also was like that: no matter what happened, you[d never guess it from his manner. Lasker may have lost a game every now and then, but never lost his head. |
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| Dec-02-09 |
| M.D. Wilson: Check out Karpov's death stare in these photos. No wonder Korchnoi felt the need to adopt mirrow glasses, too. http://www.chessville.com/reviews/P... Kasparov's stare is perhaps even more legendary.
Which current day players have the 'death stare'?
Regarding Keres' imperturbability, perhaps only Spassky was cooler. Fischer, the man, who along with Petrosian, would know best, once said "Spassky sacrifices his pieces with the utmost imperturbability. He can blunder away a piece, and you are never sure whether it's a blunder or a fantastically deep sacrifice. He sits at the board with the same dead expression whether he's mating or being mated". |
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| Dec-07-09 |
| The Rocket: I wonder how many games this guy mikhail tal won which were in fact totally lost after his unsound sacrifices: I discussed it with another grandmaster who said: well those were selected games of tals carrier in fact he didnt sacrifice pieces that much but when I look over his games when he was at his best I almost always find an unsound piece sacrifice.. I have never been a fan of mikhail tals for the simple reason that I do not beliave in piece sacrifices that loses to correct defence I think that shows more how weak my opponent was that couldnt defend it rather than me playing great. I love on the other hand sacrifices,tactical moves which with correct defence is still equal but poses problems to my opponent to actually find the way to equalize. |
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Dec-07-09
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| whatthefat: <but when I look over his games when he was at his best I almost always find an unsound piece sacrifice..> "Almost always"? Which tournament are you talking about here? In truth, Tal played a lot more straightforward tactical combinations than deep speculative ones, but of course he is better remembered for the latter. |
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| Dec-07-09 |
| The Rocket: take this game for an example against a top player like keres also... Tal vs Keres, 1959 |
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Dec-07-09
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| whatthefat: <The Rocket>
That's one game.
If you're saying most of his games are of this character, then I ask which tournaments have you been looking at, and which games in those tournaments are you characterizing as unsound? |
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Dec-07-09
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| Red October: <If you're saying most of his games are of this character> actually the phrase <Almost always> would lead one to believe that he meant that a large and substantial number of games were of that nature... but tell me, how does one rank up an unsound sacrifice against an unsound defence ? |
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Dec-07-09
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| whatthefat: I would say <almost always> is even stronger than <most>. The former means "almost 100%", the latter just means "> 50%". |
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| Dec-07-09 |
| The Rocket: "Pal Benko once had to put on dark glasses to avoid Tal's eyes" haha thats true theres a clip on youtube with it:) |
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| Dec-07-09 |
| talfan: It moved to tears te first time I read it http://www.chessbase.com/columns/co.... |
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| Dec-07-09 |
| SufferingBruin: <Perhaps health was never on Tal's side because he drank and smoked heavily. This would indicate that he maybe did not have it "right" in life.> I'm a few weeks late on this conversation but Tal spent most of his life in constant pain; the smoking and drinking was probably done for relief as much as anything else. If the argument is that he would have been better but for careless behavior (living the "right" life), I think that's a little harsh. It's more likely that he would have lived a little more temperately had he not been in such pain. You might respond that in the pink of health, Tal would have smoked, drank, kept late nights, etc. And to coin one of my friend's favorite phrases, "you may be right." |
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Dec-13-09
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| Tabanus: Interview with his daughter Zhanna (old link broken, so I repost): http://www.e3e5.com/article.php?id=... |
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Dec-13-09
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| TheAlchemist: Thank you for posting the link! |
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| Dec-13-09 |
| M.D. Wilson: Great reading. |
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Dec-20-09
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| Sem: Judging from the amount of kibitzing Tal was the greatest chess player ever. |
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Dec-25-09
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| talisman: Merry Christmas Misha!...only 2 sport figures who could smoke a cigarette in one drag. you and arnold palmer. |
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| Dec-26-09 |
| M.D. Wilson: Haha! |
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Feb-06-10
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| Russian Grandmasters: new chess film
"The Life and Times of Mikhail Tal"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYiV... |
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