Mikhail Tal
Notable Games

Mikhail Tal

20 celebrated games · 1209 in the full archive
Player Index ◈ Biography 1209 CURATED GAMES

Notable Games

  • 1956.01.14 Tal, Mikhail vsSimagin, Vladimir Pavlovich 1-0 Czech Defense 45 moves URS-ch23 Final 23rd Soviet Championship, Moscow 1956 — the 19-year-old Tal's Soviet-final debut, a Caro-Kann won in the sharp style of the attacker who would take the next two Soviet titles.
  • 1958.07.11 Bobotsov, Milko Georgiev vsTal, Mikhail 0-1 King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Bobotsov-Korchnoi-Petrosian Variation 30 moves WchT Students 05th final A World Student Team Championship, 1958 — one of Tal's most famous positional queen sacrifices: 11...Nxd5 12.Qxa5 Nxe3 gives up the queen for two minor pieces and a Sämisch King's Indian attack Bobotsov cannot hold.
  • 1958.09.03 Tal, Mikhail vsPanno, Oscar 1-0 Ruy Lopez: Closed, Karpov Variation 57 moves Interzonal-04 Portorož Interzonal 1958 — from the event Tal won at 21 to reach the Candidates; a wild Ruy Lopez decided by the double sacrifice 28.Rxg7+ Kxg7 29.Bh6+.
  • 1959.09.18 Tal, Mikhail vsSmyslov, Vasily V 1-0 Caro-Kann Defense: Breyer Variation 26 moves Candidates Tournament Candidates Tournament 1959 — a celebrated 26-move Caro-Kann miniature that crushes former World Champion Vasily Smyslov on Tal's way to the title match.
  • 1959.10.11 Tal, Mikhail vsFischer, Robert James 1-0 King's Indian Defense: Petrosian Variation, Normal Defense 34 moves Candidates Tournament Candidates Tournament 1959 — one of four wins the 22-year-old Tal scored over the young Bobby Fischer that year, here outplaying Fischer's King's Indian.
  • 1960.03.15 Tal, Mikhail vsBotvinnik, Mikhail 1-0 French Defense: Winawer Variation, Classical Variation 32 moves World-ch22 Tal-Botvinnik +6-2=13 World Championship 1960, Game 1 — Tal opens the match by beating World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik's French Winawer, on the way to becoming, at 23, the youngest World Champion to that time.
  • 1960.03.26 Botvinnik, Mikhail vsTal, Mikhail 0-1 King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Classical Main Line 46 moves World Championship 23th World Championship 1960, Game 6 — the most famous game of the match and a Tal signature: the intuitive knight sacrifice 21...Nf4! shatters Botvinnik's position from a King's Indian.
  • 1961.06.21 Toran Albero, Roman vsTal, Mikhail 0-1 English Opening: King's English Variation, Reversed Sicilian 25 moves EU-chT 02nd Final European Team Championship, Oberhausen 1961 — Tal sacrifices his queen (18.Nf7+ Qxf7 19.Bxf7) and hunts the white king to mate with rook, two bishops and a knight.
  • 1962.10.06 Tal, Mikhail vsHecht, Hans Joachim 1-0 Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation 49 moves Olympiad-15 Final A Varna Olympiad 1962 — a much-admired attacking win over West Germany's Hans-Joachim Hecht from a Queen's Indian, long anthologized among Tal's finest games.
  • 1964.06.21 Tal, Mikhail vsTringov, Georgi Petrov 1-0 Modern Defense: Two Knights Variation, Suttles Variation, Tal Gambit 17 moves Interzonal-06 Amsterdam Interzonal 1964 — a 17-move gem: Tringov grabs the b2-pawn and is overrun, Tal offering the queen with 13.Qd6! and finishing 15.Bxf7+ Kxf7 16.Ng5+ 17.Qe6+.
  • 1965.08.08 Tal, Mikhail vsLarsen, Bent 1-0 Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Tal Variation 37 moves Candidates sf Tal-Larsen +3-2=5 Candidates semifinal, Bled 1965 — the tenth and final game, which Tal won to take the match: a celebrated attack that rips open the Sicilian with 16.Nd5 and the exchange sacrifice 21.Rxe7, mate looming after 34.Bc5.
  • 1970.01 Tal, Mikhail vsSuetin, Alexey S 1-0 Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Modern Variation 21 moves Goglidze Memorial Goglidze Memorial, Tbilisi — a 21-move Sicilian miniature finished by the queen sacrifice 20.Qxe5, textbook Tal against a strong grandmaster.
  • 1974.08.26 Tal, Mikhail vsPetrosian, Tigran V 1-0 Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, Quiet System, Chigorin Line 23 moves URS-chT Cup 08th USSR Team Championship 1974 — a rare 23-move demolition of former World Champion Tigran Petrosian, one of the hardest players in history to beat, capped by 23.Bxf7+.
  • 1987 Tal, Mikhail vsKarpov, Anatoly 1-0 Caro-Kann Defense: Accelerated Panov Attack, Modern Variation 30 moves SWIFT-Chess World Championship SWIFT tournament, Brussels 1987 — Tal, past 50, crushes former World Champion Anatoly Karpov in 30 moves of a Caro-Kann with 27.Bxg7 and a mating attack.
  • 1987 Tal, Mikhail vsHjartarson, Johann 1-0 Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense 43 moves Reykjavik Reykjavik 1987 — a late-career sacrificial masterpiece: from a Closed Ruy Lopez Tal breaks through with the knight sacrifice 39.Nxe5 and a knight hunt, 41.Ng4+ 42.Nh6+ 43.Ng8+.
  • 1988.10 Tal, Mikhail vsSpeelman, Jonathan S 1-0 Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, Quiet System 34 moves World Cup World Cup 1988 — a crackling attack over England's leading grandmaster Jonathan Speelman, finished by the queen breakthrough 31.Qxf6+ and 34.Rf7.
  • 1958.02.13 Spassky, Boris Vasilievich vsTal, Mikhail 0-1 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation 73 moves URS-ch25 Final Riga 1958 — a 73-move win with Black against Boris Vasilievich Spassky. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part III, game 50 (PDF page 96).
  • 1979.04.28 Tal, Mikhail vsHuebner, Robert 1-0 Caro-Kann Defense: Classical Variation, Spassky Variation 41 moves Montreal International Montreal 1979 — a 41-move win with White against Robert Huebner. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part II, game 143 (PDF page 1011).
  • 1979.09.06 Polugaevsky, Lev vsTal, Mikhail 0-1 English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Three Knights Variation 28 moves Interzonal-11a Riga 1979, Interzonal — a 28-move win with Black against Lev Polugaevsky. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part II, game 145 (PDF page 1022).
  • 1992.05 Tal, Mikhail vsAkopian, Vladimir Eduardovic 1-0 Sicilian Defense: Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack 38 moves Barcelona Barcelona 1992 — a 38-move win with White against Vladimir Eduardovic Akopian. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part II, game 148 (PDF page 1037).
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