MARK RUBERY CHESS
In ‘My Great Predecessors, Volume Two’ Kasparov covers players such as Botvinnik, Keres, Bronstein, Smyslov and Geller and Tal. On being asked if he could compare the tactical abilities of the champions such as Tal, Kasparov responded: ‘In general the level of resistance the players face has grown stiffer and stiffer. That’s why many of Tal’s combinations would not impress many modern players. There is nothing wrong with his combinations being refuted later on, of course. The book is about the contributions of each player to the game, so we have to enjoy and appreciate his games of the late 50’s and early 60’s when he was way ahead of the others. The way Tal beat Smyslov in 1959 is just another reflection of how even for the greatest players of Tal’s time this challenge was insurmountable.
Tal,M - Smyslov,V [B10] Bled/Zagreb/Belgrade (8), 1959
1.e4 c6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 e5 4.Ngf3 Nd7 5.d4 dxe4 6.Nxe4 exd4 7.Qxd4 Ngf6 8.Bg5 Be7 9.0-0-0 0-0 10.Nd6 Qa5 11.Bc4! b5 (Tal felt that 11…Nb6 was better, though he still fancied his chances after 12 Bxf7+ Rxf7 13 Nxf7 Kxf7 14 Rhe1 Nbd5 15 Qe5) 12.Bd2 Qa6 13.Nf5 Bd8 14.Qh4 bxc4 15.Qg5 Nh5 16.Nh6+ Kh8 17.Qxh5 Qxa2 (Overlooking the coming queen sacrifice, instead Black should play 17…Bf6) 18.Bc3 Nf6
19.Qxf7!! (It is not often one can play such a move against a player like Smyslov)… Qa1+ 20.Kd2 Rxf7 (Black can only prolong the game by shedding ruinous amounts of material) 21.Nxf7+ Kg8 22.Rxa1 Kxf7 23.Ne5+ Ke6 24.Nxc6 Ne4+ 25.Ke3 Bb6+ 26.Bd4 1-0
A few snippets on how the ‘magician from Riga’ was revered:
I was surprised by his ability to figure out complex variations. Then the way he sets out the game; he was not interested in the objectivity of the position, whether it’s better or worse, he only needed room for his pieces. All you do then is figure out variations that are extremely difficult. He was tactically outplaying me and I made mistakes. – Mikhail Botvinnik
He was a player and he always wanted to play. Once, long ago, he was in Amsterdam for a few days on a tour of simultaneous exhibitions and surprised me by saying: “If you want to play some blitz games, just call me at the hotel.” Just like that, as in a story for children. You, ex-world champion, play with me, beginning young master? I didn’t know then that he always wanted to play chess, if necessary with the waiter. – Hans Ree
And from the man himself….
‘You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one.’-Tal
‘It is interesting that I rarely offer the exchange of queens. But in the cases where I do, it is almost always the wrong decision!’-Mikhail Tal