Chess Match: Mikhail Tal v Ratmir Kholmov, Riga, Latvia 1968
Chess Match: Mikhail Tal v Ratmir Kholmov, Riga, Latvia 1968
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Chess Match: Mikhail Tal v Ratmir Kholmov, Riga, Latvia 1968

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Author: Tal, Mikhail Nekhemyevich (1936-1992) and Ratmir Dmitrievich Kholmov signed

Year: 1968

Publisher: LPSR Saha Federacija

Place: Riga

Description:

Original royal octavo (9 3/4"" x 5 1/2") score sheet printed on official stationery of the event in Mihail Tal's hand. Signed by both Mikhail Tal and Ratmir Kholmov, played in round two, March 30th, not signed by the arbiters of the match. Queen's Indian with draw after 44 moves.

This was a four game match between the two contestants held in Riga, Latvia which ended in a tie with all games being drawn.

Mikhail Nekhemyevich Tal was a Soviet Latvian chess Grandmaster and the eighth World Chess Champion (from 1960 to 1961). Widely regarded as a creative genius and one of the best attacking players of all time, Tal played in a daring, combinatorial style. His play was known above all for improvisation and unpredictability. Every game, he once said, was as inimitable and invaluable as a poem. He was often called "Misha", a diminutive for Mikhail, and "The magician from Riga". Both The Mammoth Book of the World's Greatest Chess Games and Modern Chess Brilliancies include more games by Tal than any other player. In addition, Tal was a highly regarded chess writer. He also holds the records for both the first and second longest unbeaten streaks in competitive chess history.

Ratmir Dmitrievich Kholmov (1925-2006) was a Russian chess Grandmaster. He won many international tournaments in Eastern Europe during his career, and tied for the Soviet Championship title in 1963, but lost the playoff. Kholmov was not well known in the West, since he never competed there during his career peak, being confined to events in socialist countries. His chess results were impressive, so this may have been for security reasons, as Kholmov had been a wartime sailor. But he was one of the strongest Soviet players from the mid-1950s well into the 1970s, and was ranked as high as No. 8 in the world. Kholmov stayed active in competitive chess right to the end of his life, and maintained a high standard.

Condition:

Signed on the verso by both contestants. Edge wear, the usual two hole punch es to the left of the sheet else a very good copy.

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