Tal's Poisoned Queen
Mikhail Tal (Riga, Latvia 1936-1992) defeated Mikhail Botvinnik in 1960 to become World Champion, he was 23 at the time, the youngest player ever to win the title (his record was broken in 1985, when Garry Kasparov won the World Title at the age of 22). Tal was an attacker and a sacrificial artist; he was known for going for the opponent's king right during the opening. Unfortunately, Tal lost his title a year later in in Moscow in a rematch against Botvinnik.
Severe health problems is believed to be the biggest contributing factor for his defeat. The game below is from a simultaneous exibition. Tal offers his Queen because he can see one move ahead than his eager-daring opponent. Enjoy...
