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Beautiful Attack

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Submitted by kenytiger on Sat, 08/23/2008 at 8:09pm.

In 1965, Hungarian Grandmaster Lajos Portisch plays the Black pieces against Mikhail Tal. The soviet titan unleashes an all-out attack pushing his opponent against the ropes. Portish ends up with a Rook, Knight and Bishop for his Queen, so far so good.

Just when the "Hungarian Botvinnik" (Portisch's positional style earned him that popular nickname) has succeeded in fending off Tal's attack, the "Magician of Riga" pulls another rabbit out of his hat and wins. A cruel psychological blow at the beginning of an important match.

For all of you who love Tal's games here it is...

» posted in Amazing Games
| 1535 reads | 18 comments |
1 vote:
 

Comments:

by figrock - 8 months ago
United States
Member Since: Jul 2008
Member Points: 1438

Magic indeed..! Brilliant game, Tal..! Surprised

by SiveMK - 16 months ago
Skopje Macedonia
Member Since: Jul 2008
Member Points: 363

This is pure classic!

by leonelcm - 16 months ago
Mexico City Mexico
Member Since: Feb 2008
Member Points: 391

Thanx kenytiger for sharing this game, a chess classic...

by shuttlechess92 - 16 months ago
California United States
Member Since: Jul 2008
Member Points: 1944

wow very nice attack by tal

by GMChess07 - 16 months ago
Everett United States
Member Since: Feb 2008
Member Points: 15

Thanks for sharing a classic match!

by Tacoma - 16 months ago
Tacoma United States
Member Since: Aug 2008
Member Points: 14

Very nice game!

by Anaid - 16 months ago
Orange County, California United States
Member Since: Jun 2008
Member Points: 114

Very nice to see my favorite magician in action again!

by kenytiger - 16 months ago
United States
Member Since: Aug 2007
Member Points: 1062

You guys are correct, the Queen is not trapped. I made a mistake on that one.

by davidknight - 16 months ago
Texas United States
Member Since: Apr 2008
Member Points: 142

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Tal plans an assault, it may not have worked out, why did Portish, black, sacrifice his queen,  white did make some clever moves

by cgs - 16 months ago
Veszprém Hungary
Member Since: Feb 2008
Member Points: 655

Attention! After the Queen sacrifice Black had winning position!

If 19... Qa5? than 20.Re1 and Black couldn't defense the mate. (threatens 21.Bd6+)

For this reason the 19... Nxd3! was the best move. Now here is bad 20.Bd6+ because of Rxd6 21.Qxd6+ Be7! and the White Queen couldn't move away with check. But White can enforce the draw by 20.Bh6! Qxb2! 21.Qxf6+ Ke8 22.Qe6+.

After 20.cxb6?! Black could have win if 22... g6 and 23... Kg7 plays. The 22... Ke7? and the wandering of the Black King was a great mistake by Portisch.

This game was the second game of the match between Portisch and Tal. The third game won Portisch and than the result was 1,5-1,5. The final result was 5,5-2,5 in favour of Tal. The Magician of Riga could win the worse positions as in this game.

by Cavalierlibre - 16 months ago
Ariana Tunisia
Member Since: Aug 2007
Member Points: 465

A great Tal !

by Kami5909 - 16 months ago
United States
Member Since: Dec 2007
Member Points: 90

Bc4 is the correct response, not Bc7.

by Jayded - 16 months ago
Cape Town South Africa
Member Since: May 2008
Member Points: 60

That was weird. He chose to sacrifice his queen in exchange for the bishops. His queen wasnt trapped. He could easily have avoided the mate.

by patrick08 - 16 months ago
Leyte Philippines
Member Since: Aug 2008
Member Points: 34

I cant really understand what happen to the queen... It can still escape...

by Gustantonio - 16 months ago
Envigado Colombia
Member Since: Aug 2008
Member Points: 5

Pedro i think it is 20.BC5.... and 21.BD6

by PedroV100 - 16 months ago
Barranquilla Colombia
Member Since: Mar 2008
Member Points: 17

hey i dont see why 19...Qa5 would be followed by 20.Bc7. black would just take the bishop. wouldnt it be 20.Re1 threatening mate in 3 if not 20...Qc7?

by davidknight - 16 months ago
Texas United States
Member Since: Apr 2008
Member Points: 142

Nice to see Tal in action, rook sacrifices and unpredictable aggresive attacks.

 
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