Added on 2/19/2026
You’re in for a treat! Mikhail Tal, “The Magician from Riga,” was one of the greatest tacticians of all time. Although he held the World Championship for just one year, from May 1960 to May 1961, health issues ultimately limited his reign, and perhaps his full potential.
Yet Tal’s impact on chess far exceeded the length of his title. He captivated fans with his imaginative and fearless style, conjuring spectacular and unexpected resources in the midst of chaos. His games remain a celebration of creativity, intuition, and daring.
We have already devoted two weeks of our Daily Puzzle to his unforgettable combinations. Now we’ve gathered them all into a single article, so you can revisit the magic and solve every one of them.
Dive in and let Tal remind you that chess, at its most beautiful, is an art.
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13 October
BLACK TO MOVE
Mikhail Tal won his first USSR Championship in 1957, at the age of 20. This title was decided in a grueling 21-round round robin with 22 players, and it was preceded by several qualifiers ("semifinals"). In one of them, Tal won this spectacular game against the Lithuanian champion, Egor Chugaev. Can you find the final blow?
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14 October
BLACK TO MOVE
When Mikhail Tal found a good outpost for his knight, his opponents knew danger was near. What small tactic did he use here to gain a decisive material advantage?
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15 October
BLACK TO MOVE
A great example of how all of Mikhail Tal’s pieces harmoniously contribute to the attack, even those you might not have considered at first glance.
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16 October
WHITE TO MOVE
Tal’s rival, Bulgarian GM Giorgi Tringov, captured a poisoned pawn in the opening and now faces multiple challenges developing his pieces. Why doesn’t this move work?
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17 October
WHITE TO MOVE
Mikhail Tal and Bent Larsen played this game in Reykjavik in 1957, during the World Student Championship. The Latvian took the point thanks to a sneaky tactic his opponent missed. Can you find it?
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18 October
BLACK TO MOVE
Unusual for him, Mikhail Tal’s pieces were passive and confined to the back ranks. Yet the unfortunate placement of the white queen allowed the Magician to unleash a sudden, thunderous counterattack.
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19 October
BLACK TO MOVE
White has two passed pawns in the center that could be decisive in an endgame, but for now, they would be far more useful protecting the king from Tal’s attack. How can black secure a decisive advantage?
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02 February
WHITE TO MOVE
This puzzle is a classic demonstration of Tal’s attacking brilliance. Can you guess how he continued in this position? HINT: The Black rook next to its king will be key in the solution.
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03 February
WHITE TO MOVE
That is the beauty of chess: White is down material, but it is their turn, and the enemy king is exposed. Great attacking players like Mikhail Tal were always better at evaluating these “matter vs. spirit” unbalanced positions many moves ahead.
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04 February
WHITE TO MOVE
White has two aces in the position: one is control of the central file, and the other is a strong outpost for the knight, which completely dominates the Black pieces. Can you find how Tal went on to exploit these advantages by tactical means?
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05 February
WHITE TO MOVE
This combination occurred in a blitz game played between two Soviet chess titans, Mikhail Tal and Tigran Petrosian, in 1975. Tal, with White, found an elegant combination here that is reminiscent of Paul Morphy’s “Opera Checkmate.” If you know your classics, you will solve it in the blink of an eye!
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06 February
BLACK TO MOVE
Efim Geller and Mikhail Tal played a very complex game in 1975. White is up a piece and is threatening mate in two — but it is Tal’s turn, and that makes all the difference. Black is winning. Dive in and see how deep you can calculate!
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07 February
WHITE TO MOVE
This is the kind of classic combination you need to practice if you want to raise your level and turn a 1200 rating into 2100. After a few examples like this, you won’t even need to use your brain—your hand will find the right moves on its own!
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08 February
WHITE TO MOVE
With their last move, Black is trying to capture the h4 pawn, while entangling the White pieces and and making it harder for them to advance their queenside pawns. However, Tal had seen further and he had prepared a sneaky response. Can you see what he had planned?
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