Mikhail Tal
8th World Chess Champion · Soviet era · Latvia · 1936–1992
The magician from Riga: sacrifices no engine approves of, and few opponents survived.
Career In The Collection
1000Games
264Wins
582Draws
154Losses
56%Score
1954–1992Active
Head-to-Head Records
| Opponent | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mikhail Botvinnik | 44 | 12 | 20 | 12 | view games |
| Viktor Korchnoi | 41 | 6 | 23 | 12 | view games |
| Tigran Petrosian | 40 | 3 | 32 | 5 | view games |
| Bent Larsen | 39 | 13 | 19 | 7 | view games |
| Boris Spassky | 39 | 6 | 24 | 9 | view games |
| Efim Geller | 34 | 6 | 22 | 6 | view games |
| Jan Timman | 33 | 6 | 22 | 5 | view games |
| Svetozar Gligoric | 33 | 10 | 21 | 2 | view games |
| Lajos Portisch | 32 | 9 | 18 | 5 | view games |
| David Bronstein | 31 | 10 | 15 | 6 | view games |
| Lev Polugaevsky | 31 | 2 | 21 | 8 | view games |
| Paul Keres | 26 | 4 | 14 | 8 | view games |
| Vasily Smyslov | 26 | 3 | 18 | 5 | view games |
| Anatoly Karpov | 20 | 1 | 17 | 2 | view games |
| Bobby Fischer | 13 | 4 | 5 | 4 | view games |
| Garry Kasparov | 12 | 0 | 10 | 2 | view games |
| Miguel Najdorf | 9 | 3 | 5 | 1 | view games |
| Nigel Short | 9 | 2 | 6 | 1 | view games |
| Samuel Reshevsky | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | view games |
| Michael Adams | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | view games |
| Nona Gaprindashvili | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | view games |
| Gata Kamsky | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | view games |
| Viswanathan Anand | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | view games |
1000 Games · Page 3 of 5
- 1986 vs Ognjen Cvitan White Tbilisi B42 1/2-1/2
- 1986 vs Jeno Doery White Berlin op D78 1-0
- 1986 vs Dimitar I Donchev White Yerevan A16 1-0
- 1986 vs Vereslav S Eingorn White Sochi B48 1/2-1/2
- 1986 vs John P Fedorowicz White Reykjavik op B74 1-0
- 1986 vs Ovidiu Foisor White Tbilisi A17 1-0
- 1986 vs Ovidiu Foisor White Berlin op C06 1-0
- 1986 vs Guillermo Garcia Gonzales White Sochi B10 1-0
- 1986 vs Efim Geller Black Reykjavik op A38 1/2-1/2
- 1986 vs Efim Geller Black Sochi C80 1-0
- 1986 vs Florin Gheorghiu White Reykjavik op D58 1/2-1/2
- 1986 vs Svetozar Gligoric Black Sochi E16 1/2-1/2
- 1986 vs Karen Ashotovich Grigorian White Yerevan D55 1-0
- 1986 vs Curt Hansen White Reykjavik op B35 1-0
- 1986 vs Johann Hjartarson White Reykjavik op E14 1/2-1/2
- 1986 vs Julian M Hodgson White Sochi B13 1-0
- 1986 vs Constantin Ionescu White Sochi E14 1/2-1/2
- 1986 vs Grigory S Kaidanov White Tbilisi A13 1/2-1/2
- 1986 vs B. Kantsler Black Tbilisi D27 1/2-1/2
- 1986 vs Tibor Jr Karolyi White Tbilisi D24 1-0
- 1986 vs Jens Kristiansen White Reykjavik op B06 1/2-1/2
- 1986 vs Vladimir P Malaniuk Black Tbilisi D02 1/2-1/2
- 1986 vs Neil R McDonald Black Tbilisi A13 0-1
- 1986 vs Eduard Meduna Black Sochi A46 0-1
- 1986 vs Eduard A Mnatsakanian White Yerevan B30 1-0
- 1986 vs David Olafsson Black Reykjavik op B66 0-1
- 1986 vs Lexy Ortega Black Yerevan D50 0-1
- 1986 vs Ales Pekarek White Tbilisi B72 1-0
- 1986 vs Arshak B Petrosian White Yerevan C87 1-0
- 1986 vs Margeir Petursson Black Reykjavik op D32 1/2-1/2
- 1986 vs Luben Popov Black Berlin op E95 1/2-1/2
- 1986 vs Yuri S Razuvaev Black Sochi A64 1/2-1/2
- 1986 vs Oleg M Romanishin Black Tbilisi B11 1/2-1/2
- 1986 vs Oleg M Romanishin Black Yerevan D10 1-0
- 1986 vs Eliahu Shvidler White Berlin op A34 1-0
- 1986 vs Vasily Smyslov Black Sochi E55 1/2-1/2
- 1986 vs Evgeny Sveshnikov White Sochi D47 1/2-1/2
- 1986 vs Elizbar Ubilava Black Tbilisi D43 1/2-1/2
- 1986 vs Rafael A Vaganian Black Sochi E15 1/2-1/2
- 1986 vs Imre Varasdy Black Berlin op E20 0-1
- 1986 vs Petar Velikov Black Berlin op A47 0-1
- 1986 vs Yuri Yakovich White Sochi D44 1/2-1/2
- 1986 vs Gennadi Zaichik Black Tbilisi B12 0-1
- 1985 vs Simen Agdestein Black Taxco Interzonal D45 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Simen Agdestein Black Naestved E68 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Lev O Alburt Black Taxco Interzonal E11 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Ulf Andersson White Naestved E16 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Vladimir Bagirov White Jurmala D48 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Yuri S Balashov White Jurmala C85 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Alexander G Beliavsky Black Candidats Tournament C92 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Walter S Browne White Taxco Interzonal A30 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Walter S Browne White Naestved D40 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Miso Cebalo Black Taxco Interzonal A65 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Murray G Chandler Black Naestved C88 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Alexander Chernin White Candidats Tournament D17 1-0
- 1985 vs Sergey Dolmatov White Tallinn C08 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Milan Drasko Black Tallinn A17 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Jaan Ehlvest White Tallinn A14 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Lubomir Ftacnik White Naestved B85 1-0
- 1985 vs Viktor Gavrikov White Tallinn A30 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Aivars Gipslis Black Jurmala C42 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Mikhail Gurevich Black Jurmala A65 0-1
- 1985 vs Curt Hansen White Naestved B82 1-0
- 1985 vs Carsten Hoi White Jurmala B07 1-0
- 1985 vs Ventzislav Inkiov White Jurmala A13 1-0
- 1985 vs Artur Jussupow White Candidats Tournament C80 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Hillar Karner Black Tallinn A46 0-1
- 1985 vs Tibor Jr Karolyi White Tallinn D42 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Edvins Kengis White Jurmala E21 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs A. Kiik Black Tallinn B82 0-1
- 1985 vs Daniel J King Black Jurmala B70 0-1
- 1985 vs Alexander Kochyev Black Tallinn A47 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Viktor Korchnoi White Candidats Tournament B63 1-0
- 1985 vs Gennadi P Kuzmin White Tallinn C88 0-1
- 1985 vs Bent Larsen Black Naestved E05 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Predrag Nikolic White Naestved A20 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Jesus Nogueiras Black Taxco Interzonal D46 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Jesus Nogueiras Black Candidats Tournament E11 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs John DM Nunn Black Naestved C82 1-0
- 1985 vs Lembit Oll Black Tallinn B64 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Jozsef Pinter Black Taxco Interzonal E94 0-1
- 1985 vs Lajos Portisch Black Candidats Tournament D37 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Eduard Prandstetter Black Taxco Interzonal B92 0-1
- 1985 vs Josef Pribyl Black Tallinn A46 0-1
- 1985 vs Qi Jingxuan White Taxco Interzonal D36 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Zoltan Ribli Black Candidats Tournament A07 0-1
- 1985 vs Ian Rogers White Tallinn A16 1-0
- 1985 vs Oleg M Romanishin White Taxco Interzonal E62 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Saeed Ahmed Saeed White Taxco Interzonal D36 1-0
- 1985 vs Yasser Seirawan Black Candidats Tournament D46 1-0
- 1985 vs Alexander Shabalov White Jurmala D23 1-0
- 1985 vs Nigel Short White Candidats Tournament E43 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Nigel Short White Naestved A30 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Marcel Sisniega White Taxco Interzonal B63 1-0
- 1985 vs Vasily Smyslov Black Candidats Tournament E03 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Andrei Sokolov White Candidats Tournament D32 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Boris Spassky Black Candidats Tournament B80 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Jonathan S Speelman White Taxco Interzonal C07 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Kevin Spraggett Black Taxco Interzonal D27 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Kevin Spraggett White Candidats Tournament C60 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Jan Timman White Candidats playoff-4pl C06 1-0
- 1985 vs Jan Timman White Candidats playoff-4pl A34 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Jan Timman White Candidats playoff-4pl C83 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Jan Timman Black Candidats playoff-4pl D20 1-0
- 1985 vs Jan Timman Black Candidats playoff-4pl A55 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Jan Timman Black Candidats playoff-4pl B82 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Jan Timman White Taxco Interzonal C81 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Jan Timman White Candidats Tournament E19 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Vladimir B Tukmakov Black Jurmala D53 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Tamas Utasi Black Jurmala E61 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Rafael A Vaganian Black Candidats Tournament D19 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Rafael A Vaganian Black Naestved D55 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Aleksandr Veingold Black Tallinn C82 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Alvis Vitolinsh Black Jurmala B18 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Andronico Yap Black Jurmala E94 1/2-1/2
- 1985 vs Jouni Yrjola White Tallinn A21 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Georgy Agzamov White Sochi D32 0-1
- 1984 vs Ulf Andersson Black Bugojno E19 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Zurab Azmaiparashvili White Albena A42 1-0
- 1984 vs Alexander G Beliavsky White Bugojno E12 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Klaus Bischoff Black Albena A04 0-1
- 1984 vs Uwe Boensch Black Sochi E12 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Uwe Boensch Black Lvov B08 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Goran Cabrilo Black Albena C42 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Murray G Chandler Black URS-World C88 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Laszlo Cserna White Albena D41 1-0
- 1984 vs Josif D Dorfman White Lvov C85 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Vereslav S Eingorn Black Lvov D55 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Ivan Farago Black Albena E16 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Efim Geller White Sochi D58 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Kiril Georgiev White Lvov D25 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Tamaz Giorgadze White Lvov B52 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Svetozar Gligoric White Bugojno C92 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Attila Groszpeter Black Sochi E12 0-1
- 1984 vs Tamas Horvath Black Lvov B80 0-1
- 1984 vs Bozidar Ivanovic White Bugojno D30 1-0
- 1984 vs Nino Kirov Black Albena A55 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Viktor Korchnoi White Titograd D30 0-1
- 1984 vs Vlatko Kovacevic Black Bugojno E61 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Bent Larsen Black Bugojno A36 0-1
- 1984 vs Jiri Lechtynsky White Albena D63 1-0
- 1984 vs Ljubomir Ljubojevic Black Bugojno C42 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Peter Lukacs Black Sochi E11 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Vladimir P Malaniuk White Lvov A54 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Adrian Mikhalchishin White Lvov D82 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Anthony J Miles White Bugojno B19 0-1
- 1984 vs John DM Nunn White URS-World E94 1-0
- 1984 vs John DM Nunn White URS-World E94 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Walter Pils Black Albena A41 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Lev Polugaevsky White URS Cup A46 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Josef Pribyl Black Sochi A46 0-1
- 1984 vs Lev Psakhis White Lvov C95 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Zoltan Ribli Black Bugojno A40 1-0
- 1984 vs Oleg M Romanishin Black Lvov A36 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Oleg M Romanishin Black Sochi E20 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Dragutin Sahovic Black Lvov D46 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Semko Semkov Black Albena E32 1-0
- 1984 vs Nigel Short Black Lvov B61 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Vasily Smyslov White Bugojno C42 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Boris Spassky Black Bugojno E12 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Nikola Spiridonov White Albena B17 0-1
- 1984 vs Evgeny Sveshnikov Black Sochi C42 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Jan Timman Black Bugojno E11 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Eugenio Torre White Bugojno C92 1/2-1/2
- 1984 vs Tihomir Toshkov White Albena A34 1-0
- 1984 vs Rafael A Vaganian Black Lvov E19 1/2-1/2
- 1983 vs Efim Geller Black URS-ch50 B83 1-0
- 1983 vs Svetozar Gligoric White Niksic E12 1/2-1/2
- 1983 vs Garry Kasparov Black Moscow tt D44 1/2-1/2
- 1983 vs Garry Kasparov Black Niksic E11 1/2-1/2
- 1983 vs Bent Larsen Black Niksic A13 1/2-1/2
- 1983 vs Tigran Petrosian White URS-ch50 C18 1/2-1/2
- 1983 vs Tigran Petrosian White Niksic C07 1/2-1/2
- 1983 vs Tigran Petrosian White Keres mem C09 1/2-1/2
- 1983 vs Lajos Portisch White Niksic B99 1/2-1/2
- 1983 vs Boris Spassky White Niksic C95 1/2-1/2
- 1983 vs Jan Timman White Niksic C94 1/2-1/2
- 1982 vs David Bronstein Black Tbilisi sim m B70 0-1
- 1982 vs David Bronstein White Tbilisi sim m B16 1-0
- 1982 vs David Bronstein Black Tbilisi sim m B96 1/2-1/2
- 1982 vs David Bronstein White Tbilisi sim m C63 1-0
- 1982 vs David Bronstein White Tbilisi sim m E12 1-0
- 1982 vs David Bronstein White Tbilisi sim m A09 1/2-1/2
- 1982 vs David Bronstein Black Tbilisi sim m A29 1-0
- 1982 vs David Bronstein Black Tbilisi sim m A48 1-0
- 1982 vs Efim Geller Black Moscow B44 1/2-1/2
- 1982 vs Efim Geller Black Sochi A04 1/2-1/2
- 1982 vs Efim Geller Black Moscow Interzonal B17 1/2-1/2
- 1982 vs Garry Kasparov Black Moscow Interzonal D43 1/2-1/2
- 1982 vs Jan Timman Black Hoogovens C81 1-0
- 1981 vs David Bronstein White Tallinn E15 1/2-1/2
- 1980 vs Svetozar Gligoric White Bugojno E01 1/2-1/2
- 1980 vs Svetozar Gligoric White EU-chT C95 1/2-1/2
- 1980 vs Anatoly Karpov Black Tilburg C88 1/2-1/2
- 1980 vs Anatoly Karpov Black Bugojno D48 1-0
- 1980 vs Bent Larsen White Tilburg B19 1/2-1/2
- 1980 vs Bent Larsen Black Bugojno A36 1-0
- 1980 vs Lev Polugaevsky Black Candidats qf1 E99 1-0
- 1980 vs Lev Polugaevsky Black Candidats qf1 D58 1/2-1/2
- 1980 vs Lev Polugaevsky White Candidats qf1 B80 1/2-1/2
Keep Studying
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