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Aleksander Nikitin vs Mikhail Tal
USSR Championship (1959), Tbilisi URS, rd 17, Feb-07
Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation (B94)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

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sac: 22...Nxc3 PGN: download | view | print Help: general | java-troubleshooting

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Kibitzer's Corner
Feb-12-06  bumpmobile: I am particularly impressed with 31...Bg5, keeping the rook out of the rest of the game. That is a positional move that proves (as if anyone needed proof) that Tal wasn't just a tactical player (i.e. 22...Nxc3!)
Jun-21-08  mate2900s: smooth win by Tal
Jun-04-09  traction: <chessgames> bit obvious tittle for gotd but i think it'd go pretty well for this one "Tal's Nikitin"
Aug-02-10  dondiegodelavega: Wow! This game deserves way more comments! Awesome stuff!
Jan-04-11  humpysanjose: infamous but amazing game!
Jan-04-11  ughaibu: "Infamous" probably isn't the word you're looking for.
Jan-04-11  DarthStapler: I'm afraid I don't see the win
Jan-04-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  Sastre: 44...Be5 45.Kd2 d4 46.cxd4 Bxd4 47.Kc2 f2 48.Rf8 e3 49.Kd1 c3 50.Ke2 Kc6 51.Ra8 Kb5 .
Sep-16-11  indoknight: yeah, tremendous but infamous...
Oct-22-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  jessicafischerqueen: This live video footage is likely from this game, played at the USSR Championship in <Tbilisi 1959>:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGN6...

Dec-04-11  indoknight: after 29.Rc3+ yes, white is take back his material . but black have another advantage! 31...Bg5! white bishop and rook is become frozen, and black king have strong defense , it make black pawns and king can also be used to attack and defense in the same time. good game by Tal!
Dec-04-11  indoknight: in the middle , Tal is looks like Kasparov .in the ending , Tal is looks like Karpov
Sep-15-13
Premium Chessgames Member
  SwitchingQuylthulg: 24...Nd7! (Houdini) would have won much faster...


click for larger view

...as White's queenside counterplay is stopped in its tracks and g2 can't be adequately defended.

Oct-27-16  zydeco: Very proud of myself for finding 21....Nxe4 and 22....Nxc3 on Guess-the-Move. Play through enough Tal games and you start to sense where the sacrifices are going to be (although I'm sure I never would have looked into it if it were one of my games).

<SwitchingQuylThulg> It's very hard to imagine a human being playing 24....Nd7, good as it may be. First, you give up a queen, then you move backwards....

Jun-08-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: Tal and Nikitin.
Jun-09-22  SugarDom: <humpysanjose: infamous but amazing game! Jan-04-11 ughaibu: "Infamous" probably isn't the word you're looking for.>

Yeah, Hitler was infamous. Perhaps a better word is "obscure" or not famous.

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