Tal's Delight... Accompanied By His 'True' Nature

[Event "Zurich"]
[Site "Switzerland"]
[Date "1959"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tal, M."]
[Black "Nievergelt, E."]
[TimeControl "0/0"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO " "]

{The magician from Riga embarks on a typically speculative sacrifice to maintain the initiative. One surprise follows another until Black finally cracks under the strain.}
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 h6 {Tal-R.Byrne, Havana Olympics 1966, continued 7...a6 8. O-O-O Bd7 9. f4 Be7 10. Nf3 b5 11. Bxf6 gxf6 12. f5! and now 12...b4! 13. Ne2 e5 is better than Byrne's 12...Qa5 13. Kb1 O-O-O 14. g3 Kb8 15. Bh3 with lasting pressure.} 8.Bxf6 gxf6 9.O-O-O a6 10.f4 Bd7 11.Be2
{More forceful is 11. g3 followed by Bh3 and f5 as in the above-quoted game.} 11...h5 12.Kb1 Qb6 13.Nb3 O-O-O 14.Rhf1 Be7 15.Rf3 {The rook hopes to find employment on the third rank where it can shuttle to either wing.}
15...Rdg8 16.Bf1 Kb8 17.Rd3 Bc8 18.a3 h4 19.Qe1 Rg4 20.Nd5 {The first of several surprises. Black is forced to capture, but the result is by no means unfavorable for him.} 20...exd5 21.exd5 Ne5 22.fxe5 fxe5
{The net result is that Black straightened out his doubled pawns and opened diagonals for his bishops. White must attack now or perish in the long run.} 23.Na5 Bd8 {Safer is 23...Ka8.} 24.Nc6+ Ka8 {Not 24...bxc6 25. Rb3 pinning the queen.} 25.Rb3 Qc7 26.Rc3 {Tal notes: "After 26. Nxd8 Qxd8 White has no attack, and Black would be better.  Therefore I decided to sacrifice a piece. Because of this I was criticized considerably, and heard: 'It was incorrect...Tal was lucky...It was a bluff...Tal was dead lost' -- but I did not see at what point I was dead lost, and concerning other accusations of the wise critics, I console myself with pleasure that chess fans, spectators and readers are happy only when grandmasters risk rather than just push wood."} 26...bxc6 27.Rxc6 Qb7 28.Rxd6 {Black gets too much for the queen on 28. Bxa6 Qxa6 29. Rxa6+ Bxa6 and so decides to capture a second pawn to step up the pressure.} 28...Ra4 {Stronger is 28...Qe7 29. Rc6 Bb7 30. d6 Qd7 31. Rc3 e4.} 29.Rd3 Bc7 30.Rf6 Bd8 31.Rc6 e4
{After 31...Re8! White has no immediately decisive blow.} 32.Rb3 Ba5 33.Qe3 Qa7 34.Qh6 {The final jolt. Had Tal not taken risks, such a complex setting would not have occurred. Of course the queen is immune because of Rxc8+.}
34...Rd8 35.Bxa6 Bd2 36.Qf6 Qd7 37.Bxc8 {On 37...Rxc8 38. Ra6+ is fatal. A startling climax. Black Resigns.}
1-0