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| Posted by andy94 www6conf.org 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 www6conf.org 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 www6conf.org 10/31/2008 12:14:34 play online chess | An example of his magic..... Message:  gameknot.com |
| Posted by ionadowman www6conf.org 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 www6conf.org 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 www6conf.org 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 www6conf.org 11/02/2008 14:12:58 play online chess | PS ... Message: |
| Posted by ionadowman www6conf.org 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: Anand wins the World chess title again -- Viswanathan Anand has kept his tryst with chess history here on Wednesday. The much-needed draw against challenger Vladimir Kramnik in the eleventh game gave Anand a historic win (6.5-4.5) with white pieces in the most-widely followed World chess title match. Anand, winner of all the major chess titles in the game at least once in his illustrious international chess career spanning 25 years, now holds what appears to be an unbeatable record of having claimed the World chess title in three different formats. Anand won the title in 2000 in the now-discontinued 128-player knockout format. Last year, it was in the eight-player double round-robin format. Now Anand has ... Barden on chess -- Vlad Kramnik's late rally in Bonn took some of the gloss off Vishy Anand's 6.5-4.5 world chess championship victory. The Indian dominated the first half of the series but missed the chance to join the select few who have won the chess title without losing a game. He seemed to tire after game six, reviving the question raised by his recent Bilbao failure whether his chess career has peaked at age 38. History may judge Kramnik as one of the weaker chess champions. His claim to a more positive verdict rests largely on his London 2000 triumph over the all-time No1 Garry Kasparov. Since then he has scraped a tied series against Peter Leko, won the error-strewn Toiletgate series against Veselin Topalov, suffered ... Chess with Luke McShane -- Viswanathan Anand has successfully defended his World Chess Championship title by defeating Vladimir Kramnik in their chess match by 6.5-4.5. When Anand went three wins up last week his victory looked almost assured, but it was good to see Kramnik fight back by winning the tenth game, below. Although it wasn't much in evidence in Bonn due to Anand's own excellent chess form, Kramnik is a formidable chess player. When he got a position which suited him, it only took him a few precise moves and Anand's position fell apart. Still, Anand achieved a comfortable draw with White in the next game to wrap up the match. Vladimir Kramnik - Vishy Anand (Bonn, 2008): 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 ... | |