Tal Gambit (2 part series)

Books and songs were written about him; and the Tal Memorial now underway in Moscow, the strongest tournament of the year, further reminds us of the legacy of the incomparable genius that was Mikhail Tal. ('finger TalMemorial09'). Tal was also known as 'The Magician from Riga' because of his extremely powerful and imaginative attacking style. And back in 1979 (against Englishman IM Bill Hartston), Tal unleashed on the world the “Tal Gambit” with 1 e4 c5 2 f4 d5 3 exd5 Nf6!; a move that practically overnight put 2 f4 out of business. He only drew the game in question against Hartston - but Tal’s energetic play throughout proved to be a model for how to play against 2 f4 that soon players had to resort to 2 Nc3 first followed then only by f4. . And in a tribute to Tal during his memorial event in Moscow (covered live throughout on Chess.FM), GM Boris Alterman gives us a timely reminder in his new two-part series of Gambit Guide of why the Tal Gambit is such an effective riposte to 2 f4 in the Sicilian.