tal - tag
This should NOT be played: I have never considered myself an attacking player even though most of my games when I was young were decided by attacks on the king. I attribute it to youth and not feeling too comfortable in other areas of positional play. Still, I was good at seeing tactics and calculation, […]
Smooth Chess: After the closing ceremony of the European Individual Championship that crowned him a champion, I had a chance to talk with the rising Russian star Vladislav Artemiev. A humble fellow, but one that knows his talents. He knows he is good, though he also knows he needs to work more if he is […]
Unexpected Moves: “I can’t play this move because my opponent can capture it” – How many times have you heard a chess player say this? How many times have you said it yourself? There are many positions where we believe a move is not possible by default though. Our subconscious tells us that it is […]
A basic rule in chess tells us that in order to obtain a better position and win a game we must keep accumulating small advantages throughout the game. We should try to create weaknesses in our opponent’s structure, control the open files, weaken his king, gain space, fight for the initiative and so on. While […]
Developing a good sense of tactics is essential in chess. As positional as you may be and as strategical as you may play, there always comes a moment during the game where you have to show that you can also control the tactical side. It is like an exam, where you have to show that […]
9th November happened to be the 80th birth anniversary of Mikhail Tal (1936-1992), former world champion and legendary player. Here is a tribute by our columnist-Ed.
Twenty three years ago, this day (28th June, 1992) Mikhail Tal passed way and the chess world was plunged in grief. The following obituary appeared at the time-Ed.
Mikhail Tal was the 8th World Chess Champion and widely recognized as a creative genius and one of the best attacking players of all time. “Misha” was known for his unpredictability and superb improvisation. Tal holds the records for the first and second longest unbeaten streaks in professional chess. There is a lot you can […]
The Candidates’ Tournament 1959 was one of the greatest triumphs of Tal’s career. It was a star-studded field with eight players: Smyslov, Keres, Petrosian, Tal, Gligorich, Benko, Olafsson and a 16-year-old Bobby Fischer! ( Misha beat him 4-0) The event began rather ominously for Tal with losses to Smyslov and Keres. But he picked up […]
This day, 9th November happens be the birth anniversary of Misha Tal. Few players in chess history have been loved and adored as much as this charismatic figure. Our columnist pays a tribute to the wizard of Riga recalling a rare encounter that is sure to be called one of the greatest games ever played. […]
