NIC Podcast #62 - Mikhail Tal: A Name As A Gunshot (Part 6)

April 04, 2025
Categories: Podcast

This week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast features a narration from “The Essential Sosonko”, a collection of chess portraits and stories authored by chess grandmaster Genna Sosonko. The subject of this week’s episode is Latvian grandmaster Mikhail Tal.

This week's narration, which is the final part of a six-part series, examines the final phase of Tal's life. As his physical ailments mounted, Tal never "slowed down" his hedonistic lifestyle. Money was tight in his final years, but he never stopped relying on chess for his income, ultimately living off simuls and exhibitions. However, this did not diminish the legendary, near-mythical status that he achieved during his heyday. 

Narrated by professional voice actor Nick Murphy, this week’s episode about Mikhail Tal is different from the two-part “My Misha” series from May of last year. Instead of an active participant, Genna is more of a background figure this time. However, this does not make his retelling of Tal’s stories any less vivid.

Enjoy this week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast!

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1 Comment
Larry L. Smith on Apr 16, 2025 23:20
Thank you for this wonderful series! The description of Paul Morphy as "the pride and sorrow of chess" applies equally to Tal.
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