Tal

Mikhail Tal (1936-1992), born in Riga, won the 1959 Candidates Tournament, the competition that determined who could challenge the World Champion, and defeated Mikhail Botvinnik 12½-8½ in 1960 to become World Champion. Botvinnik regained the crown in their 1961 rematch, so Tal's reign was brief, but his stylistic influence was enormous.

Tal is the classic example of a player who seeks the initiative, the ability to create threats that force the opponent to respond. He often gave up material voluntarily, such as a pawn or piece, to open lines toward the king, activate other pieces, or reach a position that was extremely difficult to calculate. Such a voluntary material investment is called a sacrifice.

His games also teach an important distinction: a decision can be very strong in practical play even when perfect calculation might uncover a defense. Tal did not simply depend on incorrect sacrifices. He combined calculation, intuition, and an exceptional ability to create problems that were hard to solve while the clock was running.

Beyond his World Championship, he won six Soviet championships, played on eight winning Chess Olympiad teams, and won the official World Blitz Championship in 1988. Blitz means chess played with very little time for the entire game.