Mikhail Tal Biography

Mikhail Tal was a Latvian Soviet chess Grandmaster and is regarded as the best attacking player of all time. He became the eighth World Chess Champion in 1960 when he defeated the defending champion Mikhail Botvinnik. Aged just 23 at that time, he set a new record by becoming the youngest-ever world champion (the record would later on be broken by Garry Kasparov, who earned the title at 22). A creative genius, he was known for his improvisation and unpredictability because of which he won so many exciting matches and set numerous world records. He was a brilliant master of the game and once he played 95 consecutive games without a loss—the longest unbeaten streak in modern chess history. His unprecedented success as a chess player earned him the name "The Magician from Riga" and he was virtually unstoppable during his younger days when he was in good health. Over a period of time his health deteriorated and he also became addicted to drinking and smoking which affected his game. In addition to being a brilliant chess player, he was also a highly acclaimed chess writer who authored several books including the very popular ‘The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal’. He was a much loved man and his untimely death at the age of 55 left the world heartbroken