Author: Ratmir Dmitrievich Kholmov (1925-2006) and Mikhail Nekhemyevich Tal signed
Year: 1968
Publisher: Riga Chess Federation
Place: Riga
Description:
(9 3/4" x 5 1/2") original score sheet in Ratmir Kholmov's hand with score on both sides and signed on the verso by both contestants Ratmir Kholmov and Mikhail Tal. Played March 31 Round 4, 43 moves, in four game match which ended in a tie with all games 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 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 from August 1960 to March 1961. Kholmov stayed active in competitive chess right to the end of his life, and maintained a high standard.
Condition:
Two punch holes to left, light edge wear else a very good copy.
SOLD 2024