Mikhail Tal Refutes His Own Sacrifice - Tal vs. Olafsson, 1961

Mikhail Tal's 1961 victory over Fridrik Olafsson looks like a simple (though pretty) smashing attack, but in fact, great complexity and beauty lurks in the variations. In his own analysis in "Life and Games of Mihkail Tal," he showed the best defense for Olafsson as well as some truly genius attacking tries he had prepared.

My favorite variations occur after 20...Qd8! Check out this amazing move spotted by Tal!

As Tal shows, Olafsson could have defended the game, but the variations were incredibly complicated, and once again, Tal's speculative and challenging play was well-rewarded.

Lessons:

• Fortune favors the bold.
• In defense, it is imperative to invest time in the critical moments.
• The strongest players are critical and objective regarding their own play.

My brief notes are below. I've included highlights from Tal's own notes in "Life and Games of Mikhail Tal."

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