Tal Demystified Part Two

Hello Chess Lovers,
In Part One I explored some of the various components of Tal's attacking methods. In this wild but short game I wanted to explore with you his attitude to active defense. In this wonderfully wild bronco ride of a game Tal plays the counter attacking French Defence against Fischer who appears to be a bit rattled by black's active possibilities.

Fischer v Tal  Leipzig Olympiad 1960

1.e4e6 -Tal explained why he chose this opening along with his trainer Koblents. He thought Fischer would have less confident in unfamiliar positions.Fischer was accustomed to facing 1...e5 or 1...c5.He also candidly wrote that he took 10 minutes to play this move.

2.d4d5 3.Nc3Bb4 4.e5c5 5.a3Ba5 -The Armenian Variation championed by Vaganian and Lputjan.

6.b4cd4 7.Qg4Ne7 According to Moskalenko 7...Kf8 is still worth a try.
 8.ba5dc3  I think this position may hold the key to why Tal and Koblents liked this against Fischer. Black has play on the queen side and also imbalances which were unfamiliar to Fischer over the board. Its one thing to read about these lines. Its another to confront the types of decisions one has to make when playing the position.

9.Qg7Rg8 10.Qh7Nbc6 11.Nf3 (11.f4Qa5) ...Qc7 12.Bb5Bd7 13.0-0 - Now here we see the pattern in Fischer's play. In most openings with white Fischer went for efficient and straightforward development. He never tried to hide behind slow elaborate schemes. For Fischer timing was vital.He took the right to make the first move seriously. In the French defence timing often takes second place to quality.Pawn structure, weaknesses, attack and counter attack, imbalances become a major part of the picture.Fischer must have been aware of the 3 tempi he spent with the queen (Qg4-g7-h7).However 0-0 is very commital against Tal.


13....0-0-0 - Vaganian played 13...Ne5 much later in 1985. Tal explained that he could not see how to strengthen the position at the board after taking the pawn on the board. At the time the freshly minted World Champion must have reckoned that it was better to mobilize against Fischer's king.

14.Bg5  Its interesting to note how Fischer saw the role of the bishops here.He clearly looked for the most active squares. Now, having completed development, Tal goes on a fantastic roller coaster ride. However its not magic.

14....Ne5! Active defence. 15.Ne5! (15.Be7Nf3 16.Kh1Rh8 shows just how sharp the position is)
 15...Bb5! -Tal goes for the most active and complicated line.Here we get an insight into Tal's concept of the game: Perpetual activity even at the expense of material. It should be noted that very few players had such a hold on Fischer like Tal up to 1961 in Bled.

16.Nf7Bf1! - Threat for threat. Tal hits g2. 17.Nd8Rg5 once more Tal focuses on g2.Its this sort of attitude that is important no matter who we face-the question of being able to mount active defense is paramount in many lines and in the database era decisions are made based on whether a variation contains active possibilities.

18.Ne6Rg2 19.Kh1Qe5 20.Rf1Qe6 21.Kg2Qg4 and perpetual check was unavoidable. So what are the instructive features of this game:

1) The choice of an active defense with imbalances can build one's understanding.

2) Tal and his coach Koblents took opposition analysis seriously. If we go through any database of Fischer's
games between 1959 and 1960 we will not see many French Defence games.

3) Tal clearly understood the dangers in such positions but Fischer's classical concept of development
     would be to his detriment. It is clear that when Fischer took on g7 with the Queen that he believed he could take pawns and survive the ensuing onslaught. 13.0-0 gives us deep insight into the thinking of Fischer.
Just as he developed and castled as white in open games he did so here -in opposition to a black rook on an open file.His bishops were posted optimistically on g5 and b5-the most advanced posts.Both bishops became targets. Later on Fischer was to show a more nuanced idea of development against the French Defence.

4) Instead of avoiding a crisis, Tal provoked one, maximising problems for his opponent as well as giving himself some problems to solve.

5) At the basis of his concept of defence was piece activity. I hope I have enriched the understanding of this wonderful giant of chess.