Mikhail Tal

Professions :

Born :

November 9, 1936

Died :

June 28, 1992

You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one

opponents psychology dark

If you wait for luck to turn up, life becomes very boring. by Mikhail Tal

If you wait for luck to turn up, life becomes very boring.

boring luck waiting

In my games I have sometimes found a combination intuitively simply feeling that it must be there. Yet I was not able to translate my thought processes into normal human language.

games chess feelings

Just as one's imagination is stirred by a girl's smile, so is one's imagination stirred by the possibilities of chess.

girl imagination chess

It's funny, but many people don't understand why I draw so many games nowadays. They think my style must have changed but this is not the case at all. The answer to this drawing disease is that my favorite squares are e6, f7, g7 and h7 and everyone now knows this. They protect these squares not once but four times!

squares games thinking

There are two types of sacrifices: correct ones and mine by Mikhail Tal

There are two types of sacrifices: correct ones and mine

chess-game sacrifice two

Later, I began to succeed in decisive games. Perhaps because I realized a very simple truth: not only was I worried, but also my opponent

chess-game simple games

To play for a draw (at any rate with White) is to some degree a c... by Mikhail Tal

To play for a draw (at any rate with White) is to some degree a crime against chess.

degrees white play

Botvinnik's right! When he says such things, then he's right. Usually, I prefer not to study chess but to play it. For me chess is more an art than a science. It's been said that Alekhine and I played similar chess, except that he studied more. Yes, perhaps, but I have to say that he played, too.

Of course, errors are not good for a chess game, but errors are unavoidable and in any case, a game without ant errors, or as they say 'flawless game' is colorless.

errors games mistake

When I asked Fischer why he had not played a certain move in our game, he replied: 'Well, you laughed when I wrote it down!'

chess-game games moving

First, how to sac my queen, then rook, then bishop, then knight,... by Mikhail Tal

First, how to sac my queen, then rook, then bishop, then knight, then pawns.

bishops knights queens

Quiet moves often make a stronger impression than a wild combinat... by Mikhail Tal

Quiet moves often make a stronger impression than a wild combination with heavy sacrifices.

stronger sacrifice moving

Many Chess players were surprised when after the game, Fischer quietly explained: 'I had already analyzed this possibility' in a position which I thought was not possible to foresee from the opening

player games chess

I will not hide the fact that I love to hear the spectators react after a sacrifice of a piece or pawn. I don't think that there is anything bad in such a feeling; no artist or musician is indifferent to the reactions of the public.

sacrifice artist thinking

Fischer is Fischer, but a knight is a knight! by Mikhail Tal

Fischer is Fischer, but a knight is a knight!

women knights chess

I'd like to always be romantic in chess. Sadly, this doesn't alwa... by Mikhail Tal

I'd like to always be romantic in chess. Sadly, this doesn't always work like that.

The cherished dream of every chessplayer is to play a match with the World Champion. But here is the paradox: the closer you come to the realization of this goal, the less you think about it.

dream play thinking

Fischer is the greatest genius to descend from the chess heavens. by Mikhail Tal

Fischer is the greatest genius to descend from the chess heavens.

genius chess heaven

Without technique it is impossible to reach the top in chess, and therefore we all try to borrow from Capablanca his wonderful, subtle technique.

technique chess trying

Irving Chernev

Boris Spassky

Boris Gelfand

Arthur Bisguier

Arpad Elo

Anatoly Karpov