It’s funny, but many people don’t understand why I draw…

It’s funny, but many people don’t understand why I draw so many games nowadays. They think my style must have changed but this is not the case at all. The answer to this drawing disease is that my favorite squares are e6, f7, g7 and h7 and everyone now knows this. They protect these squares not once but four times!

Attributed

Other Mikhail Tal Quotes

“Tal doesn’t move the pieces by hand; he uses a magic wand.” – Viacheslav Ragozin - View Quote Details on “Tal doesn’t move the pieces by hand; he uses a…
“The chess story of Mikhail Tal is about the act itself of straining against the leash of limited human imagination to create mammoth combinations on the chessboard. During his games, Tal wished to go where no chess player had ever gone before, choosing the middlegame as his métier for creative expression. He burned energy profligately. A chain-smoker and a heavy drinker, Tal pulsated nervous energy, pacing like a caged tiger in between moves. And as a young man with those famous fierce, hooded eyes and that imposing hooked nose, he bulldozed all before him.” – Larry Parr - View Quote Details on “The chess story of Mikhail Tal is about the act…
The pieces must breathe deeply and with a full chest! - View Quote Details on The pieces must breathe deeply and with a full chest!
“If Tal would learn to program himself properly, then it would become quite impossible to play against him.” – Mikhail Botvinnik - View Quote Details on “If Tal would learn to program himself properly, then it…
“I realized that you cannot tackle him if the pieces are mobile and active. I played closed positions in which Tal could gain no advantage. Tal had no positional understanding for closed games.” – Mikhail Botvinnik (on their ‘61 rematch) - View Quote Details on “I realized that you cannot tackle him if the pieces…
When I lost the title to Botvinnik, chess could be played quietly again! - View Quote Details on When I lost the title to Botvinnik, chess could be…
They compare me with Lasker, which is an exaggerated honor. Lasker made mistakes in every game and I only in every second one! - View Quote Details on They compare me with Lasker, which is an exaggerated honor…
“The chess pieces in Tal’s hands radiated magical energy. Tal quickly became the favorite of chess fans all around the world. People attended the games of the “chess magician” for the same reasons the spectators had listened to the violinist-virtuoso Paganini.” – Valery Tsaturian - View Quote Details on “The chess pieces in Tal’s hands radiated magical energy. Tal…
Just as one’s imagination is stirred by a girl’s smile, so is one’s imagination stirred by the possibilities of chess. - View Quote Details on Just as one’s imagination is stirred by a girl’s smile,…
Many sacrifices don’t require concrete calculation at all. It is sufficient to only glance at the arising position to convince us that the sacrifice is correct. - View Quote Details on Many sacrifices don’t require concrete calculation at all. It is…