Mikhail Nekhemevich Tal
Tal’, Mikhail Nekhem’evich
(Mikhail Tal). Born Nov. 9, 1936, in Riga. Soviet chess player. Grandmaster of the USSR and International Grandmaster (1957). Honored Master of Sports (1960). Journalist.
Tal’ graduated from Latvia University in 1958. He was champion of the USSR in 1957, 1958, 1967, 1972, and 1974, and world champion in 1960–61, after defeating M. M. Botvinnik. He was a member of the USSR chess team at six world competitions between 1958 and 1974 and at four European championship meets between 1957 and 1973.
Tal’ won the following major tournaments: the national interzonal (1958) and contenders’ (1959) tournaments and the international tournaments in Zurich (1959), Bled (1961), Hastings (1964, 1974), Sarajevo (1966), Palma, Majorca (1966), Tallinn (1971, 1973), and Beverwijk (1973), as well as the Chigorin (Tchigorin) Memorial Tournament in Sochi (1973).
From 1960 to 1970, Tal’ was editor of the journal Shakhmaty (Chess; Riga). He has been awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor.