biography
| name: |
Tal, Mikhail Nekhemyevich
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| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (1936–92)
|
| biography:
| Chess player, and world champion (1960–1), born in Riga, Latvia. In 1960 he defeated Mikhail Botvinnik to become the youngest grandmaster to hold the world title until then. His withering stares over the board were held by opponents as attempts at hypnotism, but it is more likely that they succumbed to his unusually inventive style of attack. Major kidney problems terminated his reign at the top, but he remained an active tournament player and chess journalist. |
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