NeverAgain: This is Game 1 in P.H. Clarke's "Mikhail Tal - Master of Sacrifice" (1961). Here are the annotations, converted to algebraic (my copy, the 1991 Batsford edition, is still in descriptive).*** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Tal's attacking style has not sprung from a continual use of gambits of the swashbuckling kind - the King's, Evans or Danish. On the contrary, his opening play tends towards simplicity rather than anything else. However, he was not always above more modern gambits.
If we can see in this game obvious signs of youthful directness, we should also note the force of the final assault, for it was such play that was soon to make him famous.
• 5.e4
Theory (i.e. the sum of our knowledge of the game up to the present moment) does not look upon this sacrifice as fully sound. But in the hands of a strong attacking player it can be a dangerous weapon, and Geller, for instance, has gained a number of successes with it. White gets a strong centre and can look forward to a long tenure of the initiative.
More usual is <5.a4>.
• 7...Nxc3?
This exchange should be withheld until White has played axb5 for reasons explained in the next note.
Of the several different defensive systems at Black's disposal the surest is <7...e6! 8.axb5 Nxc3 9.bxc3 cxb5 10.Ng5! Bb7 11.Qh5 g6 12.Qg4 Be7 13.Be2 Nd7 14.Bf3 Qc8!> (Szabo-Petrosian, Hungary-U.S.S.R. match, Budapest, 1955).
• 8...a6
A very unnecessary move which should have been speedily punished. Again <...e6> was in order, but after <9.Ng5> White's attacking chances are greatly increased by the fact that the long white diagonal remains blocked (by the c6 pawn).
• 9.Be2
Too simple. The thematic sortie - Ng5 - would have immediately rendered Black's position on the K side precarious.
• 9...Bb7
Black seems blissfully unaware of the danger on the other wing. Now White might well create a multitude of possibilities by <10.e6>.
• 10.Ng5
And, of course, this is very good too. The Knight settles on e4, whence it continually menaces the enemy position.
• 10...h6
Unfortunately, if <10...e6>, then <11.Bh5 g6 12.Bf3> leaves Black's K side riddled with holes.
• 12.Ba3
White's attack has not gained any immediate success, but he has various positional plusses to his credit; the forthcoming exchange of Bishops accentuates Black's troubles by exposing the weaknesses on the black squares in his camp.
Kibitzing
sac: 24.Rfh4
