Mikhail Tal

Mikhail Nekhemievich Tal (Latvian: Mihails T?ls, Russian: ?????? ?????????? ????) (November 9 1936 - June 28 1992), born in Riga, Latvia, was the eighth World Chess Champion.

Related Topics:
Latvian - Russian - November 9 - 1936 - June 28 - 1992 - Riga - Latvia - World Chess Champion

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Known as "The Magician from Riga", Tal can be considered as the archetype of the attacking player, developing an extremely powerful and imaginative play. His approach over the board was very pragmatic - in that respect, he is one of the heirs of the ex-World Champion Emanuel Lasker. He often sacrificed material in the search for initiative in chess which was defined by the ability to make threats to which the opponent must respond.

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Tal loved the game in itself and considered that "Chess, first of all, is Art." He was capable of playing numerous blitz games against unknown or relatively weak players purely for the joy of playing.

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