Mikhail Tal vs Vasily Smyslov · Candidates Tournament, Bled/Zagreb/Belgrade, 1959 · King's Indian Attack · 1-0
Mikhail Tal, the 'Magician from Riga', was famous for his irrational sacrifices that left opponents and analysts bewildered. In this Candidates Tournament game against former World Champion Vasily Smyslov, Tal launches a tactical storm with piece sacrifices that cannot be calculated to a forced win — yet Smyslov, facing the psychological pressure of having to find the single correct defensive line over the board, fails to defend correctly. Tal's approach to chess was revolutionary: he believed that in practical play, creating complications that are difficult to navigate was as valuable as finding objectively correct moves. This game exemplifies that philosophy and helped Tal win the Candidates to become World Champion in 1960, the youngest ever at the time.