Selected Games of Mikhail Tal

Author: Tal, Mikhail Nekhemyevich (1936- ) [Jozsef Hajtun (1924- 1937)]Year: 1961Publisher: Pitman PublishingPlace: New YorkDescription:145 pages with 5 plates including frontispiece and diagrams. Octavo (8" x 5 3/4") issued in stiff boards and cloth spine with gilt lettering. Translated by Robert Ejuri. First American edition.Mikhail Nekhemievich Tal was born in Riga, Latvia in 1936. His father was a physician and the young Tal became interested in chess when he saw the game played in his father's waiting room. However, it was not until he was in his teens that he began to study the game seriously. Tal soon became obsessed with the game and played as often as he could. He could even be seen playing a game or two of blitz chess between rounds at tournaments.For much of his life he suffered from ill-health but his obsession with chess was made apparent when, prior to an operation, he talked about chess until the mask was placed on his face and when recuperating he had to be taken back t