Tal probaby would have lost to Fischer post-WC, as well as Karpov, and then again Kasparov, but @#$%*!& was his play electric. It's ironic that electricity itself would have ruined his play, as the silicone monsters aren't frightened, and certainly don't make inaccuacies.

I also saw how Tal defeated Milko Bobocov. The day before, after Tal finished his main-event game, he played speed chess, one game after another with Nikola Padevsky, all of those games were with Black pieces, so that he could play over and over the same variation, which made everybody -- and Tal most of all -- giggle, because it was a variation where Black -- that is Tal -- always at the same place sacrificed his queen for two light pieces, just so, as if for not apparent reason at all, just so that there was some good entertainment. Of those speed games, Tal won some, lost some -- of course, he was a good chunk of queen behind -- and everyone around was taking it as such a clever jest, a form of handicapping self. Tal clearly wanted to amuse himself, and thus he 'sacrificed' his queen game after game. There was much mirth about it all around, even a swim guard was watching the circus, and a Bulgarian woman player, a beauty in tiny bikinis, with which Tal played speed chess the day before under the unusual rule that gave him a win only when the game was a draw.

Among the many spectators that laughed merrily about those funny games between Tal and Padevsky was also Bobocov. He too had a great time watching it all. The next day came the time for their 'serious game' Bobocov-Tal which was a part of the match USSR-Bulgaria. The opening was a King Indian and it was played in a lightning speed; it was clear how eager was Bobocov to find out what had Tal prepared instead of that funny queen sac. And, right away, the position on the board was the one from yesterday speed games; and, right away, Bobocov played that Nd5 and spectators gasped: Tal, without a flinch, grabbed the knight and sacrificed his queen, just the same as in all those crazy speed games of the day before. Even Bobocov did not quite believe his eyes. He gave a bit embarrassed side-way smile and took the queen. The rest of the game lasted only a few moves -- and Bobocov did not get to play much.