Artists are Risk Takers! (Not Always, But.....)

Dear chess lovers, here are two games, one by Bronstein, and one by Tal...these are two of my most favorite players!

In his book "The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal",
one of the games given is Thorbergsson-Tal, Reykjavik 1964.

In this game, Tal plays a dubious pawn sacrifice in the Indo-Benoni...it is like a delayed Benko...and it works!

I saw this game many years ago, and the maneuver Ra7-e7 made a strong impression on me! Certain games, and even certain moves, make me love chess more!

By the way, one thing Bronstein mentions in one of his books, is that GMs steal from one another, but do not like to admit it. One thing I love about Tal is he has no problems telling you and me where he got some of his ideas from!

Here is the game:

The second game I want to share with you is the game Mukhin-Bronstein, from the 1959 USSR Team Championship.

This game is game no. 28 in Bronstein and Furstenberg's  "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" (page 60 in the 2009 edition by New in Chess).

In this game, Bronstein plays a very, very risky variation, and it seems to me he is lost right out of the opening. What are your thoughts on it?

Here is the game! (Please try to analyze WITHOUT an engine! It is more fun, and you make progress....)

I have to add a third game, which had me in stitches! Lev Polugaevsky was such a nice man, a real class act, and also, as a writer, very humble and down to earth!

I like the honesty and humanity of his comments! Today I will share with you a game he played when he was very young....he was 13 years old! he was born in 1934....this game is from 1948, just before his 14th birthday. This game is on page 3 of his book, "Grandmaster Preparation", which is a masterpiece! I have not bought his other books yet, but look forward to it!

the game is so old, it is not even in the chessgames.com Lev Polugaevsky page!

His comment after Black's 13th move (13...Qd3) is what had me in stitches!