Mikhail Tal funny comments on 1961 return match against Botvinnik (English subtitle)

[@MrCupidd]

I think Tal is the first great player who ever admitted his opponent won because he was stronger and played better. What an amazing man!

[@henryseidel5469]

That is exactly what makes him a great sportsman. You are perfectly right.

[@henryseidel5469]

Spasski did so too, he simply admitted Bobby Fischer played better and therefore won the championship in 72.

[@michaelwright8896]

Hikaru also admits that Carlsen is better than him and he has a Hikaru sportsmanship award so must not be too uncommon.

[@rajkumar-qf3fk]

Times were different. People were different.

[@merluzacongelada5361]

​@@michaelwright8896 Yeah and it's pretty brave to actually admit Carlsen is the better player. I can admit Carlsen is, in fact, better than me too but it took me decades of psychological prep.

[@baconian_road_construction]

I've looked at so many of his games but this is actually the first time I've heard him speak. I have to say, his personality is just as witty, classy, and vibrant as his chess.

[@jalapablocrypto]

Impossible not to like Tal. A refreshing blend of humility, humor and genius.

[@petersiegfriedkrug]

His humor is amazing

[@leefields3658]

This only makes me a bigger fan of Tal.

[@pelicans456]

Such a funny way to respond to some guy who asks "damn you got crushed, what was up with that?"

[@henryseidel5469]

Tal just said, that his opponent was better than him. Finished. Probably another player would have desperately looked for a handful of senseless apologies.

[@schontasm]

Yes. Not rehearsed. In anyway.😂

[@michaelwright8896]

@@henryseidel5469 No he said a singer and a pencil.

[@henryseidel5469]

@@michaelwright8896 Right, but he used the two terms in a humourous, symbolic sort of way.

[@KamilKaraali]

Sense of humor is one important aspect of high IQ... Tal is a proof for this...

[@henryseidel5469]

I like the way Michail Tal is making fun of the question, why he had lost against Botvinnik. There were two reasons: a singing man, and a pencil....lol But in the end he simply told the truth: Botvinnik won because he was better than I. Full stop. By the way, that is exactly what Boris Spasski said about Bobby Fischer: " I simply lost, because at that time Bobby played better than I." Russians are very honest and pragmatical, they hardly ever play to the galleries of paparazzi but simply tell the truth.

[@E8oL4]

"simply tell the truth" - that aged horribly :D

[@henryseidel5469]

@@E8oL4 Do you mean that positively or negatively ??

[@E8oL4]

@@henryseidel5469 I'll leave that to the reader to decide

[@henryseidel5469]

@@E8oL4 People who are always telling the truth pragmatically do not need a good memory. Their lives work without show effects to be demonstrated, Michail Tal seems to be one of them.

[@E8oL4]

@@henryseidel5469 I also think Tal had a bad memory because he tells the truth all the times.

[@aybarkaracay2640]

Very many thanks❗❗ Such brilliancy, great personality, unique character, sense of humour and sportsmanship of a real gentleman. Style of a genius: starting from his serious health problems, he could easily mention dozens of excuses and negative parameters. But no! Never!

[@nibdurhdhudhyd]

It is pride, such a beautyfull thing that prevents some from mentioning excuses. As a good man, life and playing are a lot more rewarding if you face the truth and you adapt your ambition and understand your practical limits. 🙂

[@danfairfw]

A great artist and a great sportsman. Others can learn from his sportsmanship as well as his chess.

[@lajos-berenyi]

Mostly I knew him only from his fantasticgames. But now I know that he was also a wonderful person. This talk was very impressive and very nice and humble!

[@bearcb]

Funny how so many people in the audience seemed to be taking his explanation seriously 😂😂😂

[@ChessRomantic]

In Soviet Union no jokes allowed! ;)

[@sullywinn4225]

There were at least a few smiles that understood! "You can't even imagine what a lucky pencil means for a chess player!" 😂😂😂

[@HofiAgilAghov]

Even though Tal is probably the greatest chess artist in the history of the game, along with Fischer. The humble brilliance of allowing himself to compliment Botvinnik for his performance in 61 is just touching and shows a great gentleman bravura. I believe that more than anything, Tal's tendency to get sick quite often, kept him from being the world champion for many many years, which he could have been. At least he won the championship for one glorious time. That's the bittersweet side of faith.

[@rokanza2293]

I think he wouldn't lose against Botvinnik if he didn't have health problems ...Botvinnik is an extremely hard worker and very disciplined but in terms of pure chess talent I'd say Tal was far greater than him

[@ernestoguevara7624]

Tal was Russian Champion five times, DURING the career of Botvinnik!

[@prabirmitra2520]

Your channel is a hidden gem of chess on KZbin

[@xabelesor5392]

Mikhail Tahl, was one of the greatest, if not the greatest, chess geniuses. Always afflicted with serious health problems. Tahl was huge on the chess board and unsurpassed as a chess player on the life board.

[@karllieb-p5e]

Great work, man! Please continue bringing more content like this.

[@PsychopathicQuestions]

I heard about a story, where Tal drew against a much weaker in a simul exhibition. Tal was very respectful and gave its opponent hands and thanked him for this game.

[@CoffeeHouseChess]

Thank you for uploading. More video like this please. Thump up.

[@galorouco459]

He was The Greatest!! Even when he recognizes his defeat!

[@songoku6936]

Я большой поклонник Михаила Таля, но ваш канал помимо шахмат, помогает мне ещё учить английский по моим любимым прекрасным интервью величайшего шахматиста всех времён Михаила Таля. Спасибо вам огромное за это :)

[@rubenabello5539]

Coincido contigo @Son Goku totalmente en todos mi amigo. Traducción al inglés/ruso

[@fizikchy]

Humor, kindness, sportmanship, modesty and all the beauties.

[@EdMcF1]

Try as I might, I cannot see any reason to be embarrassed or upset about losing to Botvinnik at his peak, whoever you are. Tal showed here what a fantastic person he was, we all know he was a fantastic player.

[@dnmclnnn]

Man found the longest possible way to say: ask a silly question and get a silly answer 😜

[@josephbloggss7286]

Transcript; In 1961, you disappointed us greatly. I’d like to know… well, I think you have cooled down enough since losing that match… How would you evaluate your crushing defeat in the return match [against Botvinnik]? 00:13 Well, I haven’t just cooled down, I think I’ve even chilled a bit since that moment (laughs in audience), if we follow that chronologically… and, you know, that defeat wasn’t my very first and, thank God, not my very last one. 00:33 Concerning the reasons of my defeat against Botvinnik… many people have already written about that. I was a journalist too, it was uncomfortable for me to remain silent, and so I have found two reasons - it’s up to you to decide how serious they were. Two very serious reasons that became the… roots of my defeat. 01:02 The first one: my coach, Honoured Coach of USSR, Alexander Naftalievich Koblencs… he’s not just a chess master, a real expert in chess, psychologist and my very good friend… he’s also a singer. 01:26 He studied belle canto in Italy, he’s a lyrical tenor, unlike Smyslov. So, during the first match, before every game we would sit in our room in the Moscow hotel, and he would sing. 01:42 Neapolitan songs, arias from Italian operas… he sang beautifully. And Botvinnik lived one storey lower. He heard everything. I don’t know why, but during the return match, Botvinnik lived at his own house, so this psychological trick didn’t work anymore. That’s the first reason. 02:04 The second reason of my defeat… I’ve lost three games in a row in the middle of the match, and then finally… No, this happened earlier. I’ve lost game 7 and finally found a pencil. A lucky pencil. You can’t even imagine what does a lucky pencil mean for a chess player. 02:24 So I managed to win one game in a row after that. I was completely sure that I’d turn the match around very soon. But, sadly, I fell ill after that, caught a flu, and this flu led to disastrous consequences. 02:42 When I came to play next game, the pencil disappeared. Some unknown fan, clearly supporting Mikhail Moiseevich, took it away, and so I was left completely unprepared for further play. 02:56 Those are my versions that explain the roots of my defeat completely. And speaking seriously, you know, all complaints about the unfavourable result of the 1961 match should be addressed to Mikhail Moiseevich Botvinnik. 03:26 His preparation was so brilliant, he completely transformed his playing style, and I was absolutely unprepared to that transformed, new Botvinnik that opposed me in 1961, even though he played greatly in 1960 as well. I’ve lost the 1961 match because Botvinnik played stronger and won.

[@Sletty73]

What an intelligent an fine answer to a dumb question! The man was really bright. Not just his chess, but the man himself was so brillant!

[@jasonkoch3182]

It wasn't really a dumb question.

[@binod3322]

Einstein of chess

[@hideomituns2184]

In medicine we are now taught to use humor appropriately. If we are too serious all the time the brain shuts off. It only turns on to fear, the unknown and the mysterious and joy. Tal is amazing he must have learnt this as a journalist. He uses humor and mysteriousness to entice the audience into listening ( the pencil, the singing etc.) Then finishes off with the crux, Botvinnik had prepared very differently. He kept it light without going deep into the actual analysis and thought process. He understands his audience. Probably only a handful of the audience who had serious aspirations would have wanted to know the actual thought process and analysis. Probably something he would have kept for questions later or for a book!

[@chesstictacs3107]

Как прекрасно oн говорит. Настоящий интеллигент.

[@JuanAMota-pu5zx]

Man! What a character haha. Tal was a legend.

[@francois_bahia]

So much respect for a legend of the game handling a thorny question like this. Bravo!

[@ernestoguevara7624]

Thank you so much for this video.Tal is the best Chess Champion of the History

[@frednimzowi9852]

Tal just said Botvinnik was better

[@jozefserf2024]

A real pity that the match could not have been rescheduled to allow Tal to recover his health. Botvinnik was brilliant at rematches.

[@jasonkoch3182]

Botvinnik is fascinating. The man never won a world championship match while world champ. He drew his first two matches after winning the big tournament to be named world champ. Then he lost to Smyslov. But he won the rematch. Then he lost to Tal, but won the rematch. And then he lost to Petrosian and wasn't given an automatic rematch. So the three times he won a match for the title, he didn't have the title. His record in matches as world champ were 0 wins, 2 draws, 3 losses.

[@petersiegfriedkrug]

Mikhail Tal was not only a great chess player and played the most beautiful games in chess history. Tal was also a great and simple person who simply said what he thought without any special preparation.

[@edisantoso3805]

Mikhael tal, 🌹🌹🇲🇨🇲🇨 salam dari negara indonesia

[@mdsazidulislamlaskar8765]

This is heart toching .....great Tal My inspiration of chess is sir Tal

[@user-ch1qo6dl7y]

A magician always wins our heart ♥️

[@thetransferaccount4586]

he seems and sounds like a true gentleman

[@TonyFalcon76]

Brilliant in board as in life, rest in peace in the glory of God Grandmaster Mikhail Tal.

[@henryseidel5469]

The top Russian chessplayers as well as Bobby Fischer are often abused for idiotic cold-war stories by the media at that time - and even today. Mostly by western media, which make a political soap opera of their games. Actually, many of them were simply friends because they did not intend to kill each other, but they simply honoured the game of chess as top experts. Spasski called Bobby his friend and talked only good of Fischer's personality. He even wrote a letter to the American government when Fischer was arrested. In rare photos it is clearly visible that there is no cold-war atmoshpere between them. Bobby Fischer even visited Michail Tal in hospital, and you can see them play on a little board in Tal's hospital bed. What a great humane atmosphere - compared to those idiots that abuse chess for political or religious purposes.

[@markclerici8975]

My friend, what you write is simply wonderful. If people wanted it, there would be no wars

[@Agooo13431]

When he said there were two reasons, I thought he was going to say: "he was better and I was worse".

[@zbohemzvolen1346]

Greatest chess player in history

[@julioalcala5479]

That was just great.

[@jigarthakkar9801]

in india lots of fan of tal....because his game like a thriller movie when we cant understand his moves...

[@ganesankrishnamurthy8658]

Gentleman.

[@yithachupfithu6650]

My favourite player Mikhail Tal. RIP legend

[@saidtrabelsi3346]

TAL is the best...with his legendary sacrifices...❤

[@KvS1248]

Tall looks like he also could be a great conductor :) and he is an artist after all :)

[@venonricinov5376]

Tal is savage in every aspect

[@digocr]

The GOAT! Chess was invented for what Tal did with chess. ❤️

[@gerokron3412]

What a great character!

[@nibdurhdhudhyd]

It is pride, such a beautyfull thing, that prevents some from using excuses. As a good man, life, playing (a game/sport/art...), and working is a lot more rewarding if you face the truth, adapt your ambitions, and understand your practical limits. 🙂 What a great inspiration he gives!

[@nibdurhdhudhyd]

Knowing your level and understanding you are past your best, but not losing confidence and the desire to win. Here's a quote from his autobiography: (JOURNALIST) Can you name for us your best game? As long as I am alive-no. If I'm not wrong, the book was written in 1975

[@alipakdin7372]

This is Soviet era entertainment as it's best.

[@AI-xi4jk]

Вот так надо современным шахматистам разговаривать с публикой.

[@callytrava3736]

Utterly charming and gracious

[@kenthomson9562]

He was so unlucky with that pencil issue.

[@firstlast3946]

Couldnt be explain better. Thx.Rip.

[@alvarohigino]

What is the original source of this video?

[@pot_kivach160]

'he won one game in a row'...

[@TroppiSilente]

Great Man. :)

[@chessad-yk7me]

That easiness is Tal

[@johnballard6725]

Botvinnik had six months prep in his return match to neutralise Tal's attacking threat.

[@ennerz-hq8pq]

Russian speakers, is this what he is actually saying?? 😂 It's so surreal I almost can't believe it

[@mpdragon33]

Fisher a difficult man bonded with this nerd. Just shows you what kind of personality tal has. 😂

[@dannygjk]

Tal proved himself in 1960. He honestly just phoned it in 1961 to be on the safe side. Wake up and smell the politics.

[@Interspirituality]

Did you not hear about the delicate matter of the pencil?

[@jairofonseca1597]

Tal is the Chess GOAT, loved by all ...

[@MaximsBlog]

Wow a true masterpiece! Chess is a game played by humans and humans need to be in top physical and mental shape to play their absolute best... and a pen and piece of paper

[@pauldow1648]

Why aren't those people chuckling or laughing..... They are being entertained by a great chess magician..........

[@АндрейКришнамурти]

Красавчик, с юмором нет проблем!

[@spamerspamov2212]

I WAS HERE!!!

[@ernestoguevara7624]

Da!👏👏👏

[@pardhukolli2869]

Tal your my hero

[@agachess]

If Tal wasn't sick, he would defend his title atleast twice.

[@mehdimehdikhani5899]

Firstly the champion could sit on his title for 3 years without playing. Secondly he only needed a draw in the match to retain his title since there was no tiebreak. Thirdly even if he lost the match he was ensured a return match next year where he could win back his title. The whole situation was rigged in favor of botvinnik. The rules changed only after botvinnik lost to petrosian easily and he felt he is too old to beat him next year so to avoid embarrasement the return match was cancelled. It is a shame that this rule was reintroduced again in favor of karpov so after beating him in 1985, kasparov had to beat him again in 1986.

[@candacereynolds1723]

RIP MISHA the GREAT...NOW playing the other GREATS who passed before him!!!

[@burimsaliji23]

A legend

[@ericvosselmans5657]

i have studied russian for a couple of years. I didn't understand a word. Russian is spoken so softly, in the mouth. Incomprehensible. Reading is not a problem however.

[@yfomenko]

Eric, that sounds quite unusual. Tal' spoke very distinctly, in fact he was a teacher of the Russian language and literature by education. Listening to a piece two-three times may be helpful. Just a matter of practice.

[@henryseidel5469]

So I am not the only one to have problems with the speed of talking. I can understand and speak Russian rather reasonably in normal conversation, but when they speed up I am helpless. Then semantics/meanings disappear, and everything sounds like a waterfall. Maybe that is due to the enormously large variety of grammatical forms, which have the same basic meaning but sound totally different.

[@mindfreak8861]

@@henryseidel5469 I'm russian and feel the same about english. Probably it is a common problem when language is not your native.

[@henryseidel5469]

@@mindfreak8861 That's right, a foreign language always causes more problems when it is spoken. You can read a written sentence on a sheet of paper over and over again...until you understand it. But a spoken word coming out of the mouth flies away like a bird and will never come back again. иностранные языки всегда вызывают больше проблем при разговоре. Вы можете снова и снова читать письменное предложение на листе бумаги. Но произнесенное слово, выходящее изо рта, улетает, как птица, и больше никогда не вернется в ваш мозг.

[@manisdogfish]

I thought at the end he was pulling out a cigarette

[@theantinatalismzone392]

When is this?

[@soumojitmajumdar6998]

Where is the subtitle?

[@camreese]

Tal was only 23 here wow

[@MrAnanthaP]

I think in the same talk, he answered how and why Bobby Fisher overwhelmed his opponents. Anyone have that clip?

[@henryseidel5469]

Try to find the interview Boris Spasski gave in 2008 at the Dresden Chess Olympiad, think the interviewer was one of the Polgar sisters. To make it short: Spasski said: "Bobby was better than I at that time."

[@MrAnanthaP]

@@henryseidel5469 It was definitely TAL and the scenario was the same - TAL in a Q&A session. Question was like How did so many GMs lose so badly to him in matches, Taimanov, larsen ... any hypnotism, stare .. TAL answered that Fisher's style of play was so intense and overwhelmed the opponent that the audience could think it was magic. If somebody can see the full clip of the above.

[@henryseidel5469]

@@MrAnanthaP Thanks for your reply. I think the art of chess leaves a big gap between those who can play it - and those who cannot. The latter have to try to find explanations for this phenomenon all the time. Contrary to the game of football, where every single man from the audience claims to be a better expert than the goal keeper or even the referee. This is not possibe in chess. I am a player at a lower level. I have often been told I was an idiot to play chess, but nobody ever told me why.

[@henryseidel5469]

@@MrAnanthaP Right. Yet there were certain Soviet players, who repeatedly defeated Bobby Fischer although they did not belong to the top grandmaster elite. Maybe that was due to their special style....for example Efim Geller.

[@allinallakhil5177]

Tal is alive

[@vladavasiljev]

What sourcery is this!? Agadmator

[@rv1251]

Topit chto nado 😂😂 GM Champion M TAL

[@janjantimalsina1465]

🤩👏

[@steelers6titles]

Was Tal the only player to ever give Bobby Fischer a run for the money?

[@radiofreevillage]

He was also extremely ill at the time, and they asked to reschedule the match, but Botvinnik declined. Botvinnik is the worst WC of all times who never won a single match, only rematches.

[@maciejmacias4111]

That was a tough crowd.. Was laughing forbidden by Stalin or something?

[@IGUIDERAbderrahman]

4 minutes to try saying that he looses because botvinnik played stronger and won

[@ernestoguevara7624]

🙄

[@badjaeaux]

my nuke still not delivered

[@cyrosrexesmadura2225]

Subtitle please☺☺☺

[@ChessRomantic]

Done :)

[@marauderslide5782]

Mikhail Tal admitted his opponent played better. That is why he lost. Good losers never win.

[@nenadlekic5196]

sampion mihail tajl

[@Abhijitkarmakar41]

There had only one player in the world who never been defeated by Tal = Viktor Korchnoi ❤❤❤❤ There had only 4 games between those players & every time @Viktor Won.

[@joa3320]

😅😅😅😅

[@inception6824]

when was this?

[@ChessRomantic]

I can check, but I think it was 1987.

[@victorbrand8913]

This happened in 1988, in Ostankino concert studio in Moscow.

[@inception6824]

@@victorbrand8913 thanks for the info

[@dismalify]

@@ChessRomantic thank you very much. Keep on!

[@davidwagner6116]

7 sigma class

[@Сеоргий-СергейПукст]

шуточки так себе

[@Yurij220]

Older Pirat...

[@Dybbouk]

Tal probably drank too much as well

[@tomasroca5139]

The supreme toe holoprosencephaly delay because finger computationally peck after a wide-eyed tooth. sharp, empty locust