The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal

The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal is universally celebrated and by many considered one of the greatest chess books of all time. The memoir of the 8th World Champion is narrated in a conversational style, describing the high highs and the low lows of one of the most tumultuous chess careers of the 20th century.

Tal’s passion for chess is present on every page and virulently infectious. His honesty and humour will charm anyone who reads this book, and they will never be able to look at chess again without a strong romantic feeling.

This edition is thoroughly updated, without losing the soul of the beloved original.

Grandmaster Mikhail Tal (1936-1992) rocketed through the Soviet chess elite in his early 20s, winning the Soviet Championship, the Interzonal and Candidate Tournaments and finally the World Championship in 1960.
Tal’s frail health, raw appetite for life and remorseless risk taking, combined with his romantic approach to chess, have made him a perennial favourite among the chess World Champions to this day.