Mikhail Tal

I've been reading some games from The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal. Great book. I read somewhere that Tal is the best writer ever to be world chess champion, and after looking through this book I believe it.

My favorite Tal quote, during one of the Kasparov-Karpov matches (1987?), they asked him if he had any advice for the players. He replied, "I would tell them to play better."

Tal had a fascinating four decade run as one of the world's top grandmasters. Here's his record in the world championship cycles between his arrival on the chess scene in 1951 and his death in 1992.

1955-1957 Cycle: Played in the Baltic Zonal tournament but did not advance

1958-1960 Cycle: Went all the way! Won the title from Botvinnik 12½ – 8½!

1961-1963 Cycle: Made it to the Candidates tournament, which was won by Petrosian

1964-1966 Cycle: Made it to the Candidates Final Match, lost to Spassky

1967-1969 Cycle: Played in the Candidates Semi-Final matches (lost to Korchnoi)

1970-1972 Cycle: Did not participate

1973-1975 Cycle: Played in the Leningrad Interzonal but did not advance

1976-1978 Cycle: Played in Biel Interzonal, tied for 2nd but lost the tiebreak

1979-1981 Cycle: Played in the Candidates Quarter-Final matches (lost to Polugayevski)

1982-1984 Cycle: Played in the Moscow Interzonal but did not advance

1985-1987 Cycle: Played in the Candidates tournament, tied for 4th but lost the tiebreak

1988-1990 Cycle: Played in the Subotica Interzonal but did not advance

1991-1993 Cycle: Played in the Interzonal but did not advance