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 1963>, dated and in correct round order.1,2,3

Moscow hosted both sections of the championship, with the preliminary rounds held (7-11 Aug).2 Tal began well with a win on 1st board for Latvia, but followed that up with a disappointing loss to Anatoly Lutikov, who did not yet have a FIDE title. He lost again to Tigran V Petrosian before picking up two wins in the last rounds to finish 3d in preliminary Group 1 with +3 -2 =0, behind Lutikov and Petrosian, ahead of Bukhuti Gurgenidze, Georgy Ustinov and bad player ID. 2

Tal had undergone surgery earlier in the year, but he reported that "The operation was completed successfully..." and he didn't seem bothered by it during the tournament. He remarked that "My result was more satisfactory than the one three years earlier (at the <USSR Clubs Team Championship 1961>), but our team only reached the second final group, not the main one, and so for part of the event I was playing against less experienced masters."4 Latvia indeed finished 3d in their group, behind Moscow and Georgia, narrowly missing a spot in Final Group 1.

The final rounds (12-16 Aug) saw Tal improve his results by beating the much weaker Eduard Mnatsakanian and Alexander Grushevsky. He finished off the tournament with a pair of lackluster 18 move draws against international master Vladimir Bagirov and grandmaster Paul Keres. Tal's official Final Group 2 score was counted as +2 -1 =2, even though he only played 4 games. The final 1st round was not played. Instead, whichever teams were scheduled to be paired in that round had the result of their preliminary round pairing carried forward. Latvia had been scheduled to play Moldova in final round 1, so Tal's preliminary round loss to the Moldovan Lutikov was carried forward and counted again.1,5 Estonia had been scheduled to play Uzbekistan in final round 1, and Keres had won his preliminary round game against the Uzbeki Grushevsky, so he got an extra point in his final round score.6 Tal ended up 2d to Keres, who garnered the bronze medal for 1st board.7 In Final Group 2, Latvia finished 2d to Estonia, ahead of Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Moldavia and Armenia.8

Notes

1 Olimpbase "9th Soviet Team Chess Championship: Moscow 1963- Latvia" http://www.olimpbase.org/1963st/196...

2 Hilary Thomas, "Complete Games of Mikhail Tal 1960-1966," pp.74-76

3 Alexander Khalifman, ed. "Mikhail Tal Games II 1963-1972" (Chess Stars 1995), pp.17-21)

4 Mikhail Tal, "The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal" (Cadogan 1997), p.236

5 Thomas, p.76

6 Olimpbase "9th Soviet Team Chess Championship: Moscow 1963- Estonia" http://www.olimpbase.org/1963st/196...

7 Olimpbase "9th Soviet Team Chess Championship: Moscow 1963- Basic Information" http://www.olimpbase.org/1963st/196...

8Olimpbase "9th Soviet Team Chess Championship: Moscow 1963- Final B" http://www.olimpbase.org/1963st/196...

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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 1962

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