For most of true chess aficionados, Mikhail Tal is not just a legendary world champion but a true symbol of attacking in chess. He got his name "The Magician" for his inimitable ability to start a king hunt in almost any position.
How did he do it? Well, thousands of chess books and articles written about Tal describe his favorite sacrifices as well as his general attitude that he described as "sacrifice first and calculate later." Today, I want to discuss one of his lesser-known attacking ideas, which nevertheless can be quite powerful.
Mikhail Tal in 1973. Photo: R. Mieremet/Dutch National Archives, CC.