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The Greatest Simul Game Of All Time? Tal vs. Miller, 1988
Is there a better simul game than this masterpiece from Tal?

The Greatest Simul Game Of All Time? Tal vs. Miller, 1988

SamCopeland
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Most simul games are hack and slash affairs which pose little risk to the master who quickly punishes tactical errors from his amateur opponent. Tal's simul game from 1988 against Jack Miller initially goes according to script as a quick Bxf7+ nets a pawn and exposes Miller's king. However, things quickly get crazy as Miller finds some excellent tactical resources and even seizes the advantage against Tal!

After letting things slip out of his control, Tal asserts his brilliance with an astonishing 21st move that turns one of the most insane positions you will ever see to Tal's advantage.

Tal's opponent, Jack Miller of San Diego, was only rated 1600, but he deserves a lot of credit for not giving up after the opening turned out poorly for him and grabbing his chances when they suddenly arose.

Interestingly, this simul took place in Chicago during what I've seen claimed to be Tal's first visit to the US! I find that hard to believe, but I can't find any evidence of Tal having previously been in the states although he did play Montreal in 1979 with Karpov.

Notes to the game are available below - due to the limited thinking time, there are lots of improvements for both players, but I've tried to focus just on the most instructive notes.

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SamCopeland
NM Sam Copeland

I'm the Head of Community for Chess.com. I earned the National Master title in 2012, and in 2014, I returned to my home state of South Carolina to start Strategery: Chess and Games. In late 2015, I began working for Chess.com and haven't looked back since.

You can find my personal content on Twitch , Twitter , and YouTube where I further indulge my love of chess.