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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 89 OF 116 ·  Later Kibitzing> Nov-18-09    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. 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." 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. Nov-20-09    Everett: <MDWilson> I wonder how strong Botvinnik's constitution would be if he chain smoked and was a heavy drinker. Nov-21-09    M.D. Wilson: My point exactly, Everett. Don't forget, Tal was addicted to morphine for some time as well. 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. 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". 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. Dec-07-09    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. Dec-07-09    The Rocket: take this game for an example against a top player like keres also... Tal vs Keres, 1959 Dec-07-09    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? Dec-07-09    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 ? Dec-07-09    whatthefat: I would say <almost always> is even stronger than <most>. The former means "almost 100%", the latter just means "> 50%". 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:) Dec-07-09    talfan: It moved to tears te first time I read it http://www.chessbase.com/columns/co.... 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." Dec-13-09    Tabanus: Interview with his daughter Zhanna (old link broken, so I repost): http://www.e3e5.com/article.php?id=... Dec-13-09    TheAlchemist: Thank you for posting the link! Dec-13-09    M.D. Wilson: Great reading. Dec-20-09    Sem: Judging from the amount of kibitzing Tal was the greatest chess player ever. Dec-25-09    talisman: Merry Christmas Misha!...only 2 sport figures who could smoke a cigarette in one drag. you and arnold palmer. Dec-26-09    M.D. Wilson: Haha! Feb-06-10    Russian Grandmasters: new chess film "The Life and Times of Mikhail Tal" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYiV... Feb-18-10    kingfu: This is a perfect picture of Tal. He had only two problems, neither of which were any where near the chess board. Problem one: Being under the thumb of The Soviet Union BS. Problem two: Smoking and drinking to extremes. Although, I do understand. True genius, like Mikhail Tal, cannot be controlled or regulated. If Tal would have been American then he would have been Fischer! Feb-18-10    podjevsky: <kingfu> That's news to me. I never got the impression Tal had any particular problems with the Soviet Union? Not lot Korchnai or Bronstein and the likes. From his book I get the feeling he just doesn't care about where he lives. And I thought his *main* problem (accentuated by your Problem Number 2) was his health. Especially kidney problems Jump to page #   (enter # from 1 to 116) search thread:    < Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 89 OF 116 ·  Later Kibitzing>

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