Mikhail Tahl´s Last Game (2 parts)

From the book “Diagonais – Crônicas de Xadrez”, Hélder Câmara, ed. Saraiva, Brasil, 1996.

When an artist dies still in the eagerness of his functions, it isn´t difficult to determine which has been his last performance, the last and unforgettable number of his career. It was thus with the beloved Brazilian singer Francisco Alves, died tragically in 1952, it was thus with the sorcerer of the chessboard Mikhail Tahl, died in 1992. In the last game of the Tournament of Barcelona, the ex-world champion presented to play loaded in a chair of wheels. Literally, he was more died than alive. His adversary was the exuberant Armenian GM W. Akopjan, Youth world champion. For Akopjan, only the victory interested, that would let him in first place in the final classification of the tournament. Therefore, he refused the proposal initial of draw done for Tahl, in this moment indifferent with any type of result. But, as a flickering candle, or who knows making justice to his nickname of “the flame”, a flash of rare lucidity still crossed a time that privileged and exhausted mind.

Mikhail Tahl x Wladimir Akopjan – Barcelona, May 1992, 11th and last round

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 (the idea is to transform the Sicilian Defense in a Ruy López; it has the merit of, at least, taking off the conductor of the black pieces of the variants exhaustingly prepared; its paternity is attributed to the brilliant French GM Nicholas Rossolimo).
3 … d6 (in Ulybin-Akopjan, Santiago, 1990, it followed 3 … Qc7 4. 0-0 Nf6 5. Re1 e6 6. Nc3 d6 7. d4 cxd4 8. Nd5! Qd8 9. Nxd4 Bd7 10. Bg5 Rc8 11. Nf5! Ne5! 12. Nxf6+ gxf6 13. Nxd6+ Bxd6 14. Qxd6 Bxb5 15. Qxd8+ Rxd8 16. Bxf6 Nf3+!, with equality).
4. 0-0 Bd7 5. Re1 Nf6 6. c3 (in the case of 6. h3?! a6 7. Bf1 g5 8. d4 g4 9. d5 Ne5 10. Nxe5 dxe5 11. hxg4 Bxg4 12. f3 Bd7 13. Be3, with equality – Vasiukov-Gutman, Tbilisi, 1979).
6 … a6 7. Ba4 (the recommended is 7. Bf1 Bg4 8. h3 Bxf3 9. Qxf3 g6 10. d3 Bg7 11. g3 0-0, with possibilities for both sides; Adorjan-Tahl, Las Palmas, 1977).
7 … c4 (instead of developing his pieces with simple moves, like 7 ... e6, the trusted Akopjan is assaying preciousities like this one).
8. d4 cxd3 ep 9. Bg5 e6 10. Qxd3 Be7 (already was considered 10 … Ne5 11. Nxe5 Bxa4 12. Nc4 Bc6 13. Nbd2 b5 14. Ne3 Be7 15. Bxf6 Bxf6 16. Nd5!, with equal possibilities).
11. Bxf6 gxf6 12. Bxc6!? Bxc6 (it´s possible that in this last game the unsurpassable “sorcerer of Riga” has given to a homage to the father of the Russian chess Mikhail Tchigorin, that was an excellent "rider", being their Ns were considered “magicals&rdquo😉.
13. c4! 0-0 14. Nc3 Kh8 (Akopjan refusal draw and goes to the attack; as much better: thus Tahl will only be able to really give to a homage for his predecessor).
15. Rad1 Rg8 16 Qe3 Qf8 (Akopjan wants to drain his offensive activity of the half-open g-column; apparently Tahl haven´t as to fight this idea).
17. Nd4! Rc8 (the black pieces cannot, nor interest to them, to keep the pair of bishops, under the penalty to reduce them to the uselessness).
18. f4! Bd7 19. b3 Bd8 20. Nf3 (well or badly, the black pieces had to pursue the idea to play … Bb6; for the time being, the white knights do not play nothing… and the black bishops, less still).
20 … b5 (it was better 20 ... Rc6, intending to play 21 ... Bb6; questionable is if after 21. Kh1 this diagonal g1-a7 has a substantial utility).
21. Qa7! Bc7 22. Qxa6 bxc4 23. b4!! (this winner move is a tremendous slap in the petulance of the Armenian master; with this, Tahl boasts a deep strategical sense of the position; for some reason, already he was world champion&hellip😉.
23 … Qg7 24. g3 d5 (move extracted of the most legitimate desperation: seeing strategically lost, because of the advantage in number of pawns in the queen´s side, Akopjan has left for the tactical madness in the king´s side; just against who!).
25. exd5 Bxf4 26. Kf2! (to strengthen his position, Tahl mixes cement with cold blood; now, if 26 ... Bxg3+ 27. hxg3 Qxg3+ 28. Ke3 exd5 29.Qxf6+, winning; for example: 29 ... Rg7 30. Rg1! Re8+ 31. Kd2 Qf2+ 32. Kc1 Qe3+ 33. Rd2! and the rest is silence).


--->

--->

26 … f5 27. gxf4! Qxc3 (reevaluating his position in the tournament, Akopjan was interested for draw, that it would give the 1st place, despite divided with Dorfman and Magem; it happens, however, that the passion of this incomparable genius already could not accept the proposal of draw made to him at this moment).
28. Qd6! Ba4 29. Rd4! Rg7 (the black pieces are threatened of death and nothing this would help 29 ... Qb2+ 30. Rd2!, gaining an entire time to follow with 31. Qe5+ or dxe6, gaining in both cases).
30. dxe6 Bc6 31. Ng5! Rxg5? (Akopjan took a strategical bath and now appeals recklessing for the tactical effort, like a somebody who loose a verbal discussion with Myke Tyson and decides to set off for the ignorance… it´s pure truth the threats already were unsustainable: if 31 ... h6 32. exf7 hxg5 33 Qh6+, with mate to follow).
32. Qe5+!! (nor it´s necessary to say if 32. fxg5 Qf3+ 33. Kg1 Qg2#; it occurs, however, that with the move of the text the black pieces goes to lose the Q and the direction of the game).
32 … Rg7 33. Rd8+! Rxd8 34. Qxc3 f6 (the black pieces want in vain to prevent the exchange of Rs, but after 34 ... fxe6 35. Rxe6 Bd5 36. Re7 Rg8 37. Qf6, they would take a knot in their position and their vanity).
35. e7 Ra8 36. Qxf6 Be4 37. Rg1! Rxa2 38. Ke1! 1-0


“Man, you´re dust and to the dust you will come back”. And so, symbolically, the King comes back to his original square! With this jewel of game, Tahl says goodbye to the life of chess. One month later, he would says goodbye to the chess of life...

Originally posted by Helder Octavio
“Man, you´re dust and to the dust you will come back”. And so, symbolically, the King comes back to his original square! With this jewel of game, Tahl says goodbye to the life of chess. One month later, he would says goodbye to the chess of life...

Deep.

Emotive.

Tahl was a great player, if not the best among all chess players on world up today.

Thank you for posting this game.

His games were pure intuitive art. He played mostly intuitive variations, that became to be exact in a post-mortem analysis up to 10+ moves and more after a heavy scrutiny.

I'm very sensible. I hope you all excuse me for refraining to make aditional comments.

My regards

-J

His name was Tal. Mikhail Tal.

skeeter

Originally posted by skeeter
His name was [b]Tal. Mikhail Tal.

skeeter[/b]

edit: the cyrillic didn't come out.

I believe it is "Tahl" in Spanish, though.

I am familiar with the Glagolitic alphabets Mephisto2, so your point was not lost on me. However, to the greater chess community, the Spanish included, the correct spelling of Mikhails given name is Tal.

skeeter

Originally posted by skeeter
I am familiar with the Glagolitic alphabets Mephisto2, so your point was not lost on me. However, to the greater chess community, the Spanish included, the correct spelling of Mikhails given name is Tal.

skeeter

Fain, squiter! 😛

Originally posted by skeeter
I am familiar with the Glagolitic alphabets Mephisto2, so your point was not lost on me. However, to the greater chess community, the Spanish included, the correct spelling of Mikhails given name is Tal.

skeeter

I agree.

Nevertheless: http://www.portalajedrez.com/jugadores/Tahl.php

Highly recommended:

The life and games of Mikhail Tal
Botvinnik v Tal 1960 (this one is ace!)

Originally posted by Tengu
Highly recommended:

The life and games of Mikhail Tal

I picked this one up at a used book store. I havn't checked out the games, but the commentary is excellent (and amusing).

Originally posted by zebano
I picked this one up at a used book store. I havn't checked out the games, but the commentary is excellent (and amusing).

I also just bought it, but have other things to study first...

Unnecessary, but illustrative.

From the book 'Manual de Xadrez', Idel Becker, ed. Nobel, 19ª ed., Brasil, 1987.

Milko Bobotsov x Mikhail Tahl, Varna, 1958.
(Commentaries of Luis Palau)

Sacrifice of Q in 11th move!

Brilliant game, in the purest romantic style.

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 0-0 6. Nge2 (it´s more popular the continuation 6. Be3 e5 7. d5 Nbd7 8. b4 etc, though the move of the text also if it considers good)
6 ... c5 (another possibility is 6 ... Nbd7 7. Be3 e5 8. Qd2 c6 9. b4 Nb6 =)
7. Be3 Nbd7 (if 7 ... cxd4 8. Nxd4 Nc6 =)
8. Qd2 a6 (all the development of the black pieces tends to fortify the counter-offensive in the Q-side, especially with the typical advance ... b5)
9. 0-0-0 Qa5 10. Kb1 b5 11. Nd5 (in order to follow, in the case of 11 ... Qxd2, with 12. Nxe7+ and 13. Rxd2 etc; it would seem that the black pieces don´t have more way of play 11 ... Qd8 but… Tahl says another thing)


Position after 11. Nd5

11 ... Nxd5!!

Really, it´s necessary to have much blood of bullfighter to make similar sacrifice. Leaving out the correction or unexactness of the sacrifice of the Q, it will have few players who have the courage of interning himself in a labyrinth that now is produced in a responsibility game, sacrificing the Q in exchange for two smaller pieces and some possibilities not very clear. This is a very appropriate example to show the impulsive temperament of Tahl.

12. Qxa5 (if the white pieces didn´t accept the offer and played 12. cxd5, then the black pieces would get positional advantage after 12 ... Qxd2; to 13. Rxd2 it would follow 13 ... c4 etc)
12 ... Nxe3 13. Rc1 (a move that seems correctly take care of the necessities of the position; however, it would be more correct to play 13. Rd3, what it would follow 13 ... Nxc4 14 Qe1 cxd4, and the black pieces would prepare the occupation of the c-column with his Rs)
13 ... Nxc4 14. Rxc4 (the white pieces decide to find the quality, in sight of the aggressiveness of the enemy N and the fact of, after 14. Qe1 cxd4, the situation would be still more bothering)
14 ... bxc4 15.Nc1 Rb8 16. Bxc4 Nb6 17. Bb3 Bxd4 (we see clearly Tahl got much compensation; the opened column, with a R in this column, and the so aggressive Bishop-King, will compel the whites to a careful defense)
18. Qd2 Bg7! 19. Ne2 c4 20. Bc2 c3! (the storm comes arriving; more lines confide and, later, all the black pieces will enter in the most perfect harmony)
21. Qd3 ... (of course, if 21. Nxc3, would follow 21 ... Nc4)
21 ... cxb2 22. Nd4 Bd7 23. Bd1 Rfc8 24. Bb3 Na4! (threatening to get immediate concrete advantage by 25 ... Nc3+ 26. Kxb2 Nb5 etc)
25. Bxa4 Bxa4 26. Nb3 (only form to prevent the disaster after Bxb3; white is lost)
26 ... Rc3 27. Qxa6 Bxb3 28. axb3 Rbc8 29. Qa3 Rc1+ 30. Rxc1 Rxc1+ and Bobotsov resigned: it´s mate in the next move.

See Thread 96975.