Mikhail Tal Quotes

Some sacrifices are sound; the rest are mine

Of course, errors are not good for a chess game, but errors are unavoidable and in any case, a game without ant errors, or as they say ‘flawless game’ is colorless.

You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one

It is difficult to play against Einstein’s theory -on his first loss to Fischer

I will not hide the fact that I love to hear the spectators react after a sacrifice of a piece or pawn. I don’t think that there is anything bad in such a feeling; no artist or musician is indifferent to the reactions of the public.

Just as one’s imagination is stirred by a girl’s smile, so is one’s imagination stirred by the possibilities of chess.

You can’t avoid mistakes and bad luck.

I like to grasp the initiative and not give my opponent peace of mind.

Chess isn’t football or hockey.

I believe most definitely that one must not only grapple with the problems on the board, one must also make every effort to combat the thoughts and will of the opponent.

Fischer is Fischer, but a knight is a knight!

Naturally, the psychological susceptibility of a match participant is significantly higher than a participant in a tournament, since each game substantially changes the over-all position.