Tal Tales

It's 21 years ago today that chess grandmaster Mikhail Tal died.  He didn't take good care of himself, but while he was alive he burned as brightly as any chess player ever.

He was not a positional player. He loved attacking, making shocking sacrifices just to keep the pressure up, sure he'd eventually come out on top.  In 1960, at 23, he became the youngest world champion ever up to that date.  In the 1970s, he played 86 consecutives games without a loss, and a bit later, 95 consecutive games--the two top streaks in the world of grandmasters.

His strategy didn't always work, but it was always exciting.