Mikhail Tal and the Positional Sacrifice

To sacrifice or not to sacrifice? That is the question. Of course, sacrifice at time can be demanded by positions for either swift mate or protection of one's own monarch. The real test of a player then may lay in his ability to recognize the sacrifice opportunuties beyond the immediate. Mikhail Tal made a name for himself on the back of his tactics as a young master and built his legend with incredibly sharp piece sacrifices left and right, with an incredible number of sound ones that leaves one in awe that he could find such continuations over the board.

The Sicilian is sharp by nature, for both colors, so sacrifices are all but built in to a many portions of the theory. Here in the Scheveningen, Tal makes an incredibly deep piece sacrifice for the positional gains it offered, which he managed to build upon to a very nice technical finish.

Tal puts it best himself.  It is better to lose with sharp play, and if that means throwing a piece or two to your opponent, well, then so be it.