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| Posted by andy94 nikto.net 10/30/2008 10:42:19 play online chess |  Subject: The Magician from Riga.Message: I know some quotations on chess by him. "There are two kinds of sacrifices: sound ones and mine." "To play for a draw, at any rate with White, is to some degree a crime against chess." "They compare me to Lasker, which is an exaggerated honor. He made mistakes in every game and I only in every second one!" Referring to his piece sacrifices: "They can only take them one at a time!" "If playing chess were made illegal by law, I would become an outlaw." And about Bobby Fischer: "It is also important to remember that Bobby Fischer was a real chess gentleman during games. He was always very fair and very correct." Unfortunately he suffered from bad health. He was a heavy drinker and a chain smoker. In 1962, in Curaçao, while he was admitted to hospital, he received a famous visit by Bobby Fischer. Anyway, I'm sure health problems destroyed Tal's career, but the question is: how much? |
| Posted by ionadowman nikto.net 10/30/2008 12:18:47 play online chess | I have long thought... Message: Ever since back in 1971 when I read P.H. Clarke's book "Tal's Best Games of Chess (1951-1960)" I have been a Tal fan. Over 100 years ago, H. N. Pillsbury once remarked that when making combinations, you make sure that "when the fire was out, it isn't out!" Well, Tal seemed to be able to ignite the dampest lump of vegetable matter at will. How I wish I could play as he did! I liked what little I've heard of his sense of humour as well. Sometime during the 1980s, Mischa won the World Blitz Championship. In receiving his prize, Tal welcomed the opportunity once more of becoming "ex-World Champion". In an interview for a chess magazine on one occasion, the subject of Tal's fondness for fiery fluids was touched upon, though rather obliquely. When asked whether he would play for a Russian team or the "Vodka" team, Tal rather thought he would choose the latter. Tal's caveat notwithstanding, probably he stands best in comparison with Em. Lasker than with anyone else. In Lasker's view, Chess was neither a science, nor an art, but a fight. I'm sure Tal approached the game in the same way. Such are my impressions of my all-time favorite player. Cheers, Ion |
| Posted by tag1153 nikto.net 10/31/2008 12:14:34 play online chess | An example of his magic..... Message:  gameknot.com |
| Posted by ionadowman nikto.net 10/31/2008 14:18:25 play online chess | Hi Thomas... Message: 'Just one round after the positional triumph over Khasin came one from a different mould. It amonf the first of Tal's games that I ever saw, and I well remember being amazed by its sheer ferocity. 'Furthermore it illustrates very clearly, even starkly, ... practical approach to the opening, attacking inclination, and wonderful skill on one side; on the other carelessness, lack of technique and overindulgence in combinative play and fantasy. And all the time you can feel [Tal's] spirit, determination and exuberance coming through. A game full of life and excitement.' P.H.Clarke "Mikhail Tal's Best Games of Chess". One regrets that a long time addiction to alcohol and tobacco - and morphine as well it seems - did so much to depreciate Tal's talent, finally to cut it short well before Tal reached 60 years of age. I recall with horror Tal crashing and burning at the Leningrad Interzonal in 1973, after having posted a record to rival Fischer's contemporaneous 20 World Championship cycle wins in a row. Tal had gone 80+ (83 I think) Master level games without a defeat. But then, maybe the sort of person who plays chess like that is the sort of person who is going to ply himself with dangerous organic chemicals. Who knows? Just as an aside, I guess in the world of sport we sometimes have to take the rough with the smooth. Though never a John McInroe fan, I could not help but admire his fighting qualities. Sure, his ranting and raving on the court was embarrassing and unpleasant to watch and hear. Yet it has always seemed to me that what within McInroe that made him capable of extraordinary winning or saving shots was also responsible for his flying off the handle when he misliked an umpire's call. McInroe called on a good deal of emotion in his play. That was his style. What the connection might be between Tal's fiery chess play, fantasy and imagination and his overindulgences, I wouldn't have the foggiest. I'll leave that to the psychoanalysts. Cheers, Ion |
| Posted by ionadowman nikto.net 11/02/2008 01:06:35 play online chess | In a game I recently annotated... Message: For a game just as wild and of the same stamp, I would commend you to an earlier annotated game in my list: "Die Hard: It's always too early to resign" between ian_want and nathanman22. To be sure there are several mistakes in the game, but there are some brilliant moves as well that shine all the brighter(especially White's astonishing endgame Q sac that ought at least to have saved the game). But for sheer overall entertainment it's a hard game to go past. Cheers, Ion |
| Posted by ccmcacollister nikto.net 11/02/2008 13:56:14 play online chess | ION .... Message: Tobacco? Well its nice to relax after a day of someone poking a cold plastic tube ... lets rephrase that and just say you'd just about rather have the stones stay IN, even if it is like sliding a jagged jellybean .... well never mind again there. Suffice to say, the steady knaw may be ignored, its those totally untimed stilletto-like pokes of back to front joy that play havoc with the analysis tree :)) |
| Posted by ccmcacollister nikto.net 11/02/2008 14:12:58 play online chess | PS ... Message: |
| Posted by ionadowman nikto.net 11/02/2008 20:38:31 play online chess | Craig... Message: But what you say does seem to confirm my earlier guess about why Tal seemed sometimes to lose control of his pieces. Cheers, Ion |
Chess news: Retired Kasparov will be the favourite in Karpov rematch -- Like two ageing heavyweights, Garry Kasparov, 46, and Anatoly Karpov, 58, will face up to each other again this month. The 25th anniversary of the first of their five world title matches will be marked in Valencia, Spain, on 21-24 September by a 12-game series (four rapid, eight blitz chess), and there are suggestions that if this is successful they may repeat the exercise in their other chess championship venues, which include London. Frankly, if Kasparov came here I would rather see him in a rematch with the rejuvenated Nigel Short. Though Kasparov is officially retired and Karpov is not, the older chess grandmaster's disastrous last place recently in San Sebastián and ... Nigel Short thrives despite Vlad Tkachiev distraction -- Nigel Short kept his place in the 2700-rated grandmaster elite this week when the England No1 tied fourth with 7/10 in India's Kolkata Open, a point behind Le Quang Liem of Vietnam. In his recent events Short has been notably strong against the Caro-Kann 1 e4 c6 featured below. All the Kolkata publicity was for Vlad Tkachiev's loss on time while drunk at the chess board. Other GMs have suffered from alcohol, notably Alexander Alekhine in the disastrous middle rounds of the 1935 world title match. In Tkachiev's case, jetlag was probably a factor as he flew to India with hardly a break after winning the French chess championship, and the drunk game was his only defeat ... They’re No Fun to Learn, but Endgames Lead to Wins -- Serious chess players must master basic endgames. These are the positions where there are few pieces on the chess board and it is necessary to know beforehand the proper sequence of moves to achieve a win or a draw. Figuring them out during a game is difficult, if not impossible. Studying endgames are the chess equivalent of eating your vegetables. Part of what makes it a chore is there is no guarantee the knowledge will ever be useful. Of all endgames, the one that is probably the least favorite is king, bishop and knight versus king. Played correctly, the stronger side can force checkmate by driving the lone king into one of the two corners that the bishop can control. At ... | |