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Mikhail Tal

MIKHAIL TAL (born Nov-09-1936, died Jun-28-1992, 55 years old) Latvia PRONUNCIATION: [what is this?] Mikhail Nekhemievich Tal was born in Riga, Latvia (annexed by the USSR in 1940). At six, he learned chess from his father, a medical doctor (source: Tal interview in <Chess Life>, May 1967). Tal won his first Latvian Championship in 1953, and earned the title of Soviet Master the following year. In 1957, aged twenty, he became the youngest-ever Soviet Champion. In 1960, following a string of victories in strong tournaments (including a second consecutive Soviet Championship, the Portorož Interzonal and the Candidates in Yugoslavia), Tal became the youngest World Chess Champion with a match victory over Mikhail Botvinnik. This record was broken by Garry Kasparov in 1985. Suffering from poor health, Tal lost the rematch with Botvinnik in 1961. He never qualified for a title match again. Tal continued to struggle with health problems for the rest of his career, which was often marked by inconsistent results. On a number of occasions, however, he was still able to achieve world-class successes. Tal added four more Soviet Championship victories to his resume (in 1967, 1972, 1974, and 1978), equalling Botvinnik's all-time record of six. In 1979, he won joint first place at Montreal with Anatoly Karpov, briefly climbing back to second place in the world rankings and becoming only the third player after Fischer and Karpov to reach a rating of 2700.* In 1988, Tal won the World Blitz Championship. He died of renal failure in 1992 at age 55. Paul Keres was a font of inspiration for him and Tal won three Keres Memorials: 1977, 1981, and 1983. Renowned for his aggressive, sacrificial playing style, Tal was also a noted chess journalist and author. In his autobiography, The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, he annotates 100 of his greatest games. A list of books about Tal can be found at http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/... Wikipedia article: Mikhail Tal A chronological list of Tal's Tournaments and Matches 1949-1973: Game Collection: Tal's Tournament and Matches 1949-1973 * http://www.olimpbase.org/Elo/Elo198... Last updated: 2021-06-28 21:06:43

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page 1 of 119; games 1-25 of 2,957  Game   Result Moves Year Event/Locale Opening 1. A Parnas vs Tal 0-1 33 1949 URS U18 Team-ch Semifinal C91 Ruy Lopez, Closed 2. Tal vs I Zilber 1-0 33 1949 Riga Pioneer Palace Championship C07 French, Tarrasch 3. Tal vs Vedrov 1-0 65 1949 URS B40 Sicilian 4. J Klavins vs Tal 0-1 18 1949 Riga Junior-ch Final C10 French 5. A Nevitsky vs Tal 0-1 43 1949 Semi Finals Youth Championship C49 Four Knights 6. Tal vs A Vilup   0-1 59 1949 Ch URS (team)(juniors 1/2) C03 French, Tarrasch 7. Tal vs M Strelkov 1-0 16 1949 Riga Junior-ch Final C10 French 8. Mendeleevsky vs Tal   1-0 39 1949 Ch URS (team)(juniors 1/2) D46 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav 9. Tal vs Leonov 1-0 25 1949 Riga Junior-ch Semifinal B13 Caro-Kann, Exchange 10. Tal vs Ripatti ½-½ 41 1949 URS U18 Team-ch Semifinal B74 Sicilian, Dragon, Classical 11. Butvit vs Tal   0-1 37 1949 Riga C01 French, Exchange 12. Kholmov vs Tal 0-1 21 1949 Simul D44 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav 13. Tal vs I Miglans 1-0 21 1950 Latvian Youth Championship C82 Ruy Lopez, Open 14. Juliks vs Tal 0-1 39 1950 Riga Championship semifinal A16 English 15. Tal vs Sodell 0-1 23 1950 URS C91 Ruy Lopez, Closed 16. Liepins vs Tal 0-1 44 1950 Riga Team Championship B59 Sicilian, Boleslavsky Variation, 7.Nb3 17. Tal vs A Darznieks 0-1 26 1950 Riga Championship semifinal C98 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin 18. A Pakalns vs Tal 0-1 29 1950 Riga Championship semifinal D02 Queen's Pawn Game 19. K Klasups vs Tal ½-½ 41 1950 Riga Championship semifinal D30 Queen's Gambit Declined 20. Tal vs J Klavins 1-0 54 1950 Latvian Youth Championship B74 Sicilian, Dragon, Classical 21. Lavrinenko vs Tal 0-1 38 1950 Riga-ch Final B59 Sicilian, Boleslavsky Variation, 7.Nb3 22. Leonov vs Tal 0-1 34 1950 URS E17 Queen's Indian 23. Tal vs M Straihers 1-0 6 1950 Riga Championship semifinal B00 Uncommon King's Pawn Opening 24. V Ivanovs vs Tal 1-0 25 1950 URS C90 Ruy Lopez, Closed 25. Tal vs Pliss 1-0 37 1950 Riga Championship quarterfinal C99 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin, 12...cd  page 1 of 119; games 1-25 of 2,957

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< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 15 OF 116 ·  Later Kibitzing> Nov-14-04    MoonlitKnight: <Phoenix> I didn't fancy his "American talk" style very much indeed, but of course not all chess players are actually writers, like Tal, for instance, was. More objectively, I thought the book grasped over way too many subjects. He was trying to give methods of improvement for club players in all parts of the game in something like 300-400 pages. That could never fully work. The product he ended with was just some loose ideas patched together in a hurry. At least that was the feeling I got. Of course it was interesting to read the grandmaster and chess teacher's ideas, even though I personally agree more with Tal than Yermolinsky on a principle basis. My main objection with the book is simply that it's not exactly elegantly written, if I could put it like that. I've heard so many players talk about it as if it was some kind of masterpiece, and I just didn't think it was that good, by far. Nov-15-04    Phoenix: I agree, there are very few chess writers of Tal's caliber, and it is probably a mistake to expect something on par with him. It's a good observation that Yermo was using a ton of different kinds of information and seems that it's "loosely patched together", but I don't think he was intending to write a "My System" type of book. "Improve Your Chess Now" by GM Jonathan Tisdall might suit you better in that regard. Tisdall is also an American, but he has almost no "Americanisms" (if that's what you want to call them) in his writing style. It mostly sounds like you had gotten your hopes up on hearing a lot about this book and therefore severely disappointed when it wasn't what you were looking for. When I read a book, I'm already predicting it'll a a waste of my money, therefore I'm more pleasantly surprised than disappointed :-) Ok, enough rambling from me, for now. Nov-15-04    pkjohn146: In the picture above, he kinda looks like an older Tobey Macguire. Nov-20-04    aw1988: Once, when Tal became (sadly, yet again) ill, they were injecting him with Morphine. A fan asked "Is it true you are a morphinist?" to which Tal instantly replied "Of course not, I'm a Chigorinist!" Nov-20-04    MoonlitKnight: <Phoenix> It was actually Magnus Carlsen who recommended Yermo's book to me, so it's no wonder my expectations were high. :-) I know Tisdall is an American, but he has lived here in Norway for quite a time now, so I'm actually familiar with his work. Small world. Nov-24-04    Griffin: Closer examination of TAL : Okay so we have 2820 Games played over 43 years Which is of course 15, 695 days 1 game every 5 & ½ days Bone Idle or what! Nov-29-04    Dave Murray: <I drink, I smoke, I gamble, I chase girls -- but postal chess is one vice I don't have.> I didn't get this one... Nov-29-04    Franz the Stampede: <<I drink, I smoke, I gamble, I chase girls -- but postal chess is one vice I don't have.>> it's just sheer genius... Dec-10-04    810609: Wow, I love this picture of Tal :) Looks like mad professor from Bela Lugosi´s movies :) Dec-10-04    chessgames.com: Here's a rich source of great games: Sacrifice Explorer: Mikhail Tal. Dec-10-04    Backward Development: he looks a lot like a guy i palyed blitz against in the park... Dec-13-04    MoonlitKnight: Are you saying you played the ghost of Tal in a park...? Dec-14-04    Backward Development: or maybe a hustler with a similar hairstyle as this photo... Dec-14-04    ForeverYoung: If Tal hadn't smoked and drank so much we might still have him with us today though he would be pushing 70. I thought about Gary (also noted for his fireworks at the board) the other day and how he was similar to Tal. These days Kasparov is 41 and has slowed down some. I am reminded about what Gligoric' wrote about Tal in "the world chess championship": "if his chance thought is not fully justified, then his opponent's fatigue or lack of time for thought will serive his purpose." Perhaps you are already back with us Misca and a few years away from regaining international attention. Dec-14-04    suenteus po 147: When was this new picture taken? I'm guessing it must be the eighties at the earliest, since the last picture looked like it was Tal from the late fifties, early sixties. And I can't believe how different he looks here! Dec-14-04    whiskeyrebel: I enjoyed your post "foreverYoung". You're exactly my age..and I grew up in Portland and competed a lot back then..I'm wondering if we crossed paths. Pardon me for asking here..but have you crossed paths with Portland players like Montchalin, Harmon, Heywood, etc.?? Dec-16-04    ForeverYoung: I played Montchalin once when he gave a simul at Portland Community College, I think back in '75. I've played Heywood a couple of times in the Portland Chess Club Championships. I should have had in the '82 championship. I've played Harmon a couple of times in the blitz tourneys at the club. These days my only serious competition is at instantchess.com under the same name. I can be found at the Portland Pioneer Square chess area knocking them dead at game/15. Its getting colder these days though. The interview with Tal's first wife is very interesting. It suggests that Tal the spirit is still hanging around her. If that is the case we will have to wait until he decides to get back in the game of life. Dec-17-04    morphy234: ugh... bring back the older picture of Tal !!! Dec-18-04    tpstar: Wait, this IS the older picture of Tal! You want the *former* picture of Tal, like Eatman's avatar. I agree with you; the other one has youthful vip and vigor, while this side profile shot is far less flattering. Worst of all, he's smoking! Definitely not PC. Dec-18-04    iron maiden: I think it's because chessgames.com likes to put up the most recent available photo of the player. The Fischer page is another example. Dec-18-04    tpstar: Then again, we've all seen more recent photos of Fischer, KWIM? Those airport shots don't represent him very well either. But I understand there are copyright issues, and it's great that these chess legends get a nice picture for their page here. Dec-18-04    ArturoRivera: I have a theory, Chessgames.com could not release the sacrifice explorer earlier for two simple reasons: The firts reason is that was very complicate to cathalog all sacrifices even when they could recover material early, however the second and most powerful reason had one name: Mihail Tal! Dec-19-04    pawn52: Isn't there a better picture of Mikhail Tal? Yuck! Dec-23-04    aw1988: I wish to input my vote for a better Tal picture. Dec-23-04    lostemperor: Tal, the old magician, at work again trying to make a cigarette disappear. 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