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Mikhail Tal vs Rene Letelier Martner
Capablanca Memorial (1963), Havana CUB, rd 13, Sep-12
Spanish Game: Morphy Defense. Modern Steinitz Defense (C75)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Kibitzer's Corner
May-07-04  MoonlitKnight: Tal looks like a man possessed in this game, but most of the attacking moves come quite natural after Letelier's terrible opening blunder 8...g5??

My favourite move in this game is 27.Re4!, when 27...Bxh1 would have been met by the equally impressive 28.Kh1!, because of 28.Kxh1 Qxe4 29.Qg6+ Ke5 30.Qe6+ Kd4 31.Rd1+ Ke3 32.Re1+ Kf2 and then 33.Rxe4 is not possible since white gets mated with Rh8! Imagine that Tal saw all this OTB.

Jan-04-05  quovadis: you mean 27... Bxh2+ , 28 Kxh2 .
but what about after 27 Re4 Qg8 , 28 Qh6+ Ke7 ,29 Rfe1 Kd7 , 30 RxB RxR ,31 RxR etc ...
Aug-13-05  tiburon92: I think that the problems started on 6...Ne7
Oct-30-05  aw1988: <Ne7>

No, this is called the Steinitz Defense. Black stays cramped to get a solid position.

Oct-30-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  jaime gallegos: About Misha Tal :

God put a smile upon his face
God gave him style and gave him grace ! ( Coldplay ) :)

what a marvelous chessplayer ! ( with Morphy, Kasparov, Fischer, Anand, Keres and Morozevich .... my favorites )

Oct-02-06  Operation Mindcrime: Quintessential Tal. One couldn't expect any less than 16. ♘g6!! from him.
Aug-28-07  zev22407: If 17)..Rxf7 18)N-h8! wins
Mar-11-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  chancho: The man seemed to have all the answers when he unleashed his awesome combinations and sacrifices on his bewildered opponents.
Mar-11-08  suenteus po 147: This game was played at a Capablanca memorial, was it not?
Mar-11-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  chancho: <suenteus po 147> Indeed it was.
Mar-11-08  suenteus po 147: <chancho> Thanks!
Aug-24-08  PAWNTOEFOUR: <moonlitKnight> i guess you're right when you call 8...g5?? a blunder...crafty gives the following line pv 8...exd4 9.cxd4 Nc8 10.Nf3 Na5 11.O-O Be7 12.Bc2 <HT> +3 Crafty
May-02-09  WhiteRook48: after 28... Qxe4 29 Qg6+ Ke5? 30 Qe6# makes the board look like a painting by Picasso.
Jul-19-14  Bartacus: In the final position, a kibitzer pointed out that 28...Qxe4 29 Qe6+ Ke5? 30 Qe6 is mate. A better, but still hopeless try is 29...Ke7, upon which 30 f6+ wins Black's queen.
Nov-11-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: How many players would have foreseen the clever quiet move 18.Nd5, depriving the enemy king of flight squares?
May-10-19  mikealando: Tal the magnificent
Mar-15-21  Gaito: At a cursory glance Black's resignation might seem to be somewhat premature (diagram)


click for larger view

BLACK TO MOVE
A possible continuation could have been 28...Qxe4 29.Qg6+ Ke7 (if 29...Ke5 30.Qe6 mate) 30.f6+ Bxf6 31.Qxe4+ Re5 32.Qxb7 Rd8 33.Qxc7+ Rd7 34.Qc4 with an overwhelming advantage for White (diagram)


click for larger view

Mar-15-21  Gaito: Where did Black go wrong in this game? There were several "little mistakes" and one or two "big mistakes". The following errors might be pointed out: 9...Rh7? (⌓ 9..d5); then 11...Qc8?! (⌓ ...Na5); and then 12...dxc3? (⌓ ...Ne5). A more serious mistake was 14...Ng8? (⌓ 14...Nd3+). After those "little errors" Black had already an inferior position, but a "bigger mistake" probably happened in the following position:


click for larger view

BLACK TO MOVE

Letelier played 25...Rd5? and that proved to be a serious mistake that changed an otherwise inferior position into a completely lost position.

From the diagram, a lesser evil would have been 25...Rad8, e.g. 26.f6 Qh8 27.Qxh8 Rxh8 28.Rxe5 Rh6 (diagram)


click for larger view

This double-rook ending would be won by White without much trouble, on account of his material advantage and his passed pawns.

Mar-16-21  carpovius: One of the most beautiful human chess game ever seen.

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