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 4 of 5
- 1980 vs Lev Polugaevsky White Candidats qf1 B96 0-1
- 1980 vs Lev Polugaevsky White Candidats qf1 B96 1/2-1/2
- 1980 vs Lev Polugaevsky Black Candidats qf1 D58 1-0
- 1980 vs Lev Polugaevsky White Bugojno B47 1/2-1/2
- 1980 vs Lev Polugaevsky White Candidats qf1 B44 1/2-1/2
- 1980 vs Lev Polugaevsky Black Candidats qf1 E98 1/2-1/2
- 1980 vs Lajos Portisch Black Tilburg D58 1-0
- 1980 vs Boris Spassky White Tilburg C95 1-0
- 1980 vs Jan Timman White Bugojno E20 1/2-1/2
- 1980 vs Jan Timman Black Tilburg A29 1/2-1/2
- 1979 vs David Bronstein Black Tallinn C56 1/2-1/2
- 1979 vs Efim Geller White URS-ch47 B52 1/2-1/2
- 1979 vs Anatoly Karpov White Montreal C08 1/2-1/2
- 1979 vs Anatoly Karpov Black Montreal D41 1/2-1/2
- 1979 vs Garry Kasparov White URS-ch47 B85 1/2-1/2
- 1979 vs Bent Larsen White Riga Interzonal B16 1/2-1/2
- 1979 vs Bent Larsen Black Montreal A29 1/2-1/2
- 1979 vs Bent Larsen White Montreal B63 1-0
- 1979 vs Tigran Petrosian Black Tallinn D59 1/2-1/2
- 1979 vs Lev Polugaevsky Black Riga Interzonal A34 0-1
- 1979 vs Lajos Portisch Black Montreal E12 1/2-1/2
- 1979 vs Lajos Portisch White Montreal C08 1-0
- 1979 vs Boris Spassky Black Montreal E14 0-1
- 1979 vs Boris Spassky White URS Spartakiad D40 1/2-1/2
- 1979 vs Boris Spassky White Montreal E94 1-0
- 1979 vs Jan Timman Black Montreal A34 1/2-1/2
- 1979 vs Jan Timman White Montreal A30 1/2-1/2
- 1978 vs Efim Geller White URS-ch46 D55 1/2-1/2
- 1978 vs Svetozar Gligoric White Bugojno C91 1-0
- 1978 vs Anatoly Karpov Black Bugojno E48 1/2-1/2
- 1978 vs Garry Kasparov Black URS-ch46 C69 1/2-1/2
- 1978 vs Bent Larsen Black Bugojno A46 1/2-1/2
- 1978 vs Lev Polugaevsky Black URS-ch46 D58 1/2-1/2
- 1978 vs Lajos Portisch White Bugojno B19 1/2-1/2
- 1978 vs Boris Spassky White Bugojno C99 1/2-1/2
- 1978 vs Jan Timman Black Bugojno D46 1/2-1/2
- 1977 vs David Bronstein Black Tallinn B62 1/2-1/2
- 1977 vs Efim Geller Black Sochi B85 1/2-1/2
- 1977 vs Efim Geller White URS-ch45 C93 1/2-1/2
- 1977 vs Anatoly Karpov White Las Palmas E12 1/2-1/2
- 1977 vs Anatoly Karpov Black October Revolution 60 D41 1/2-1/2
- 1977 vs Bent Larsen White Las Palmas B16 1-0
- 1977 vs Tigran Petrosian White URS-ch45 C16 1/2-1/2
- 1977 vs Tigran Petrosian Black Sochi E18 1/2-1/2
- 1977 vs Lev Polugaevsky White URS-ch45 A13 0-1
- 1977 vs Vasily Smyslov Black October Revolution 60 E18 1/2-1/2
- 1977 vs Vasily Smyslov White URS-ch45 C80 0-1
- 1977 vs Jan Timman White Las Palmas B68 1/2-1/2
- 1976 vs Efim Geller Black Biel Interzonal B42 1/2-1/2
- 1976 vs Efim Geller Black URS-ch44 B85 1/2-1/2
- 1976 vs Anatoly Karpov Black URS-ch44 B67 1/2-1/2
- 1976 vs Bent Larsen White Biel Interzonal C96 1/2-1/2
- 1976 vs Tigran Petrosian Black Biel Interzonal E04 1/2-1/2
- 1976 vs Tigran Petrosian White Varese playoff C07 1/2-1/2
- 1976 vs Tigran Petrosian Black URS-ch44 A30 0-1
- 1976 vs Tigran Petrosian Black Varese playoff A26 1/2-1/2
- 1976 vs Tigran Petrosian Black Varese playoff E18 1/2-1/2
- 1976 vs Tigran Petrosian White Varese playoff E11 1/2-1/2
- 1976 vs Lev Polugaevsky White URS-ch44 A30 1/2-1/2
- 1976 vs Lajos Portisch White Varese playoff C95 1/2-1/2
- 1976 vs Lajos Portisch White Varese playoff B97 0-1
- 1976 vs Lajos Portisch Black Varese playoff A30 1/2-1/2
- 1976 vs Lajos Portisch Black Varese playoff D41 1/2-1/2
- 1976 vs Lajos Portisch White Biel Interzonal C91 1-0
- 1976 vs Vasily Smyslov Black URS-ch44 A49 1/2-1/2
- 1976 vs Vasily Smyslov White Biel Interzonal C60 0-1
- 1975 vs David Bronstein Black URS-ch43 B44 1-0
- 1975 vs Efim Geller Black Moscow B08 1-0
- 1975 vs Efim Geller White URS-ch43 C89 1/2-1/2
- 1975 vs Svetozar Gligoric Black Milan E91 1/2-1/2
- 1975 vs Anatoly Karpov White Milan C43 1/2-1/2
- 1975 vs Anatoly Karpov White URS-chT E14 1/2-1/2
- 1975 vs Viktor Korchnoi Black Moscow A40 1/2-1/2
- 1975 vs Bent Larsen Black Milan B52 0-1
- 1975 vs Tigran Petrosian White URS-chT A14 1/2-1/2
- 1975 vs Tigran Petrosian White URS-ch43 C97 1/2-1/2
- 1975 vs Tigran Petrosian Black Las Palmas E11 1/2-1/2
- 1975 vs Tigran Petrosian White Milan C95 1/2-1/2
- 1975 vs Tigran Petrosian White Moscow C94 1/2-1/2
- 1975 vs Lev Polugaevsky White URS-ch43 A17 1/2-1/2
- 1975 vs Lajos Portisch Black Milan A34 1/2-1/2
- 1975 vs Boris Spassky Black Moscow E52 1/2-1/2
- 1975 vs Boris Spassky White URS-chT D58 1/2-1/2
- 1974 vs Lev Polugaevsky White URS-ch42 E55 0-1
- 1973 vs David Bronstein Black Moscow-3teams B44 1/2-1/2
- 1973 vs David Bronstein Black Tallinn D13 1/2-1/2
- 1973 vs David Bronstein White Moscow-3teams B08 1-0
- 1973 vs Efim Geller Black URS-ch41 B49 1/2-1/2
- 1973 vs Svetozar Gligoric White Hastings7374 C95 1/2-1/2
- 1973 vs Svetozar Gligoric White Leningrad Interzonal C95 1-0
- 1973 vs Anatoly Karpov White Leningrad Interzonal C95 1/2-1/2
- 1973 vs Anatoly Karpov Black URS-ch41 D46 1/2-1/2
- 1973 vs Paul Keres White Tallinn C75 1-0
- 1973 vs Paul Keres White URS-ch41 C75 1-0
- 1973 vs Viktor Korchnoi White Leningrad Interzonal A30 0-1
- 1973 vs Viktor Korchnoi White URS-ch41 C09 1/2-1/2
- 1973 vs Bent Larsen Black Leningrad Interzonal A37 0-1
- 1973 vs Miguel Najdorf Black Hoogovens E62 1/2-1/2
- 1973 vs Tigran Petrosian White URS-ch41 B17 0-1
- 1973 vs Lev Polugaevsky Black URS-ch41 A10 1-0
- 1973 vs Lev Polugaevsky White Tallinn A17 1/2-1/2
- 1973 vs Vasily Smyslov Black URS-ch41 E61 1/2-1/2
- 1973 vs Boris Spassky White Sochi D35 1/2-1/2
- 1973 vs Boris Spassky Black Tallinn E30 0-1
- 1973 vs Boris Spassky Black URS-ch41 E11 1/2-1/2
- 1973 vs Jan Timman Black Tallinn E92 0-1
- 1973 vs Jan Timman White Sochi C95 1/2-1/2
- 1973 vs Jan Timman Black Hastings7374 E56 1/2-1/2
- 1972 vs David Bronstein Black URS-ch40 A01 0-1
- 1972 vs Viktor Korchnoi Black URS-chT Moscow A36 1/2-1/2
- 1972 vs Tigran Petrosian Black URS-chT Moscow D41 1-0
- 1972 vs Lev Polugaevsky White URS-chT Moscow E54 1/2-1/2
- 1972 vs Jan Timman White Skopje ol (Men) fin-A B07 1-0
- 1971 vs David Bronstein Black Parnu B83 1/2-1/2
- 1971 vs David Bronstein White URS-ch39 B13 1-0
- 1971 vs David Bronstein White Tallinn E14 1/2-1/2
- 1971 vs David Bronstein Black Moscow B87 1/2-1/2
- 1971 vs Efim Geller Black URS-ch39 B49 0-1
- 1971 vs Anatoly Karpov White Moscow E18 1/2-1/2
- 1971 vs Anatoly Karpov White URS-ch39 E19 1/2-1/2
- 1971 vs Paul Keres Black Tallinn D94 1/2-1/2
- 1971 vs Paul Keres Black Parnu D94 1/2-1/2
- 1971 vs Viktor Korchnoi White Moscow C07 0-1
- 1971 vs Tigran Petrosian Black Moscow E07 1/2-1/2
- 1971 vs Lev Polugaevsky Black URS-ch39 A49 1-0
- 1971 vs Vasily Smyslov White Moscow C67 1/2-1/2
- 1971 vs Vasily Smyslov White URS-ch39 C42 1/2-1/2
- 1971 vs Boris Spassky Black Moscow B82 1/2-1/2
- 1970 vs Bobby Fischer Black Herceg Novi blitz A49 1-0
- 1970 vs Bobby Fischer White Herceg Novi blitz B30 0-1
- 1970 vs Viktor Korchnoi White Herceg Novi blitz C08 1-0
- 1970 vs Miguel Najdorf White Belgrade URS-World B80 1-0
- 1970 vs Miguel Najdorf Black Belgrade URS-World D41 1-0
- 1970 vs Miguel Najdorf White Belgrade URS-World B48 1/2-1/2
- 1970 vs Miguel Najdorf Black Belgrade URS-World E69 1/2-1/2
- 1970 vs Tigran Petrosian Black Herceg Novi blitz D43 1/2-1/2
- 1970 vs Samuel Reshevsky Black Herceg Novi blitz A68 0-1
- 1970 vs Samuel Reshevsky White Herceg Novi blitz B40 1-0
- 1970 vs Vasily Smyslov White Herceg Novi blitz C98 0-1
- 1969 vs David Bronstein White Tbilisi C09 1/2-1/2
- 1969 vs Efim Geller White URS-ch37 C93 1/2-1/2
- 1969 vs Bent Larsen White Eersel cm-3pl B04 0-1
- 1969 vs Bent Larsen White Eersel cm-3pl B65 0-1
- 1969 vs Bent Larsen Black Eersel cm-3pl E68 1/2-1/2
- 1969 vs Bent Larsen White Eersel cm-3pl B63 0-1
- 1969 vs Bent Larsen Black Eersel cm-3pl E99 0-1
- 1969 vs Bent Larsen Black Eersel cm-3pl D32 1-0
- 1969 vs Bent Larsen White Eersel cm-3pl C41 1/2-1/2
- 1969 vs Bent Larsen Black Eersel cm-3pl D41 1/2-1/2
- 1969 vs Tigran Petrosian Black URS-ch37 D40 1/2-1/2
- 1969 vs Lev Polugaevsky Black URS-ch37 D41 1-0
- 1969 vs Vasily Smyslov Black URS-ch37 A38 1-0
- 1968 vs David Bronstein Black URS-chT C32 1-0
- 1968 vs Nona Gaprindashvili Black Gori B52 1/2-1/2
- 1968 vs Efim Geller Black Gori D66 1/2-1/2
- 1968 vs Efim Geller Black URS-chT E54 1/2-1/2
- 1968 vs Svetozar Gligoric White Candidats qf2 C91 1-0
- 1968 vs Svetozar Gligoric Black Candidats qf2 E53 1/2-1/2
- 1968 vs Svetozar Gligoric White Candidats qf2 E90 1/2-1/2
- 1968 vs Svetozar Gligoric White Candidats qf2 C93 1-0
- 1968 vs Svetozar Gligoric White Candidats qf2 C93 1/2-1/2
- 1968 vs Svetozar Gligoric Black Candidats qf2 E11 0-1
- 1968 vs Svetozar Gligoric Black Candidats qf2 E56 1/2-1/2
- 1968 vs Svetozar Gligoric Black Candidats qf2 E53 1/2-1/2
- 1968 vs Svetozar Gligoric White Candidats qf2 C93 0-1
- 1968 vs Viktor Korchnoi Black Hoogovens E51 1-0
- 1968 vs Viktor Korchnoi White Candidats sf1 E19 1/2-1/2
- 1968 vs Viktor Korchnoi Black Candidats sf1 E53 1-0
- 1968 vs Viktor Korchnoi White Candidats sf1 C98 0-1
- 1968 vs Viktor Korchnoi Black Candidats sf1 D42 1/2-1/2
- 1968 vs Viktor Korchnoi Black Candidats sf1 A87 1/2-1/2
- 1968 vs Viktor Korchnoi White Candidats sf1 B35 1/2-1/2
- 1968 vs Viktor Korchnoi White Candidats sf1 C86 1/2-1/2
- 1968 vs Viktor Korchnoi White Candidats sf1 E19 1/2-1/2
- 1968 vs Viktor Korchnoi Black Candidats sf1 E06 1/2-1/2
- 1968 vs Viktor Korchnoi Black Candidats sf1 E05 0-1
- 1968 vs Lev Polugaevsky White URS-chT D56 1/2-1/2
- 1968 vs Lev Polugaevsky Black URS-ch36 A64 1/2-1/2
- 1968 vs Lajos Portisch Black Hoogovens D22 1/2-1/2
- 1967 vs David Bronstein White Moscow B01 1-0
- 1967 vs Efim Geller White Budva C81 1-0
- 1967 vs Efim Geller White Moscow C93 1/2-1/2
- 1967 vs Svetozar Gligoric White Moscow C93 1/2-1/2
- 1967 vs Svetozar Gligoric White Budva C93 1/2-1/2
- 1967 vs Paul Keres White Moscow C83 0-1
- 1967 vs Viktor Korchnoi Black Budva E53 1/2-1/2
- 1967 vs Miguel Najdorf Black Moscow A43 1/2-1/2
- 1967 vs Tigran Petrosian White Moscow C96 1-0
- 1967 vs Lajos Portisch Black Moscow E62 1-0
- 1967 vs Vasily Smyslov Black Moscow E05 1/2-1/2
- 1967 vs Boris Spassky Black Moscow A39 1/2-1/2
- 1966 vs Mikhail Botvinnik White URS-chT B14 1-0
- 1966 vs Efim Geller Black URS-chT D43 1/2-1/2
- 1966 vs Efim Geller White Kislovodsk C92 0-1
- 1966 vs Paul Keres Black URS-chT C49 1/2-1/2
- 1966 vs Tigran Petrosian White URS-chT D41 1/2-1/2
- 1966 vs Lajos Portisch Black Palma de Mallorca D42 1/2-1/2
- 1966 vs Vasily Smyslov White URS-chT C90 1/2-1/2
- 1966 vs Boris Spassky White URS-chT D55 1/2-1/2
- 1965 vs Bent Larsen White Candidats sf1 B04 1/2-1/2
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