Every chess player loves the idea of sacrificing pieces like the Magician from Riga The problem is that most sacrifices do not end like Tal’s — with a brilliant attack and checkmate. In this lesson, I’ll breakdown the attacking strategy of Mikhail Tal.

We’ll analyze the game between Mikhail Tal and Lembit Oll to show how Tal made his sacrifices work instead of turning them into simple material losses.

Tal’s attacking chess was not just wild imagination. Behind the brilliance were practical attacking principles: piece activity, king weakness, initiative, timing, and enough compensation for the sacrificed material.

You’ll learn how to avoid sacrificing without compensation, build a strong middlegame attack and create threats against the enemy king. You’ll understand when a sacrifice is justified and use Tal’s attacking ideas in your own games as long as you remember the following and integrate them into your own thinking system:

• Plant a piece in the enemy camp
• Time is more important than material
• Don’t count pieces on the board. Count pieces in the fight
• Look for forward forcing moves
• Don’t attack just because you feel like it. Attack when your attackers outnumber your opponent’s defenders
• Open up the position

If you want to play more aggressive chess without simply blundering material, this Tal lesson will help you understand what makes a sacrifice work.

Mikhail Tal Attacking Strategy Video Lesson

Below, you can find the complete game shown in the video:

Visit the Chess Hall of Fame to explore other people who shaped chess, including champions and key influencers who advanced the game.

Even with modern-day computer chess engines, most players won’t be able to play at the level of this legendary player. Even earlier chess engines had difficulty finding winning ideas which Tal found. His creativity over the board was just phenomenal.

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