The Magic of Mikhail Tal

Rating:
Summary: 34 Complete annotated games from 1975-1990
Review: Good book, but read Tal's Life and Games (Cadagon/Everyman 1997 algebraic edition) before tackling Gallagher's take on Tal's last years.

Rating:
Summary: Underrated classic
Review: Ive read the book reviews for The Magic of Tal both here and at the chesscafe archives, and the criticism of this book is unwarranted.
So these are weak opponents that Tal faces? I guess Spassky and Korchnoi are considered weak if you are a 1600 rated player who writes reviews. The criticism that 34 deeply annotated games spread over 200 pages is poor value is absurd.
I now read all reviews merely for factual information and I totally disregard personal opinions as those opinions are apparently worthless.

Rating:
Summary: Great effort, but not the same...
Review: Joe Gallagher does a great job on this book which is a follow-up of Tal's "Life and Games of Mikhail Tal." Gallagher is known for his great works on the openings, and that is reflected here as he uses Tal's games as a vehicle for opening study. The format is great, also following "L and G", with tournament/match results, ratings, and stories strewn about. The game notes are very good.

The downsides of this book are that 1) it is extremely hard to live up to Tal's beautiful writing and notes. Afterall, "Life and Games" is considered to be one of the best chess books ever written. Gallagher just doesn't have the same fire and passion in his writing and notes. Maybe he should have chosen a format that is different from "L and G" if he wanted to avoid such an obvious comparison. He tells some nice stories about Tal, but rather flatly. 2) the games are not of the same quality and beauty as Tal's earlier ones. The opponents are not as strong, and Tal's style dulled a bit, becoming more solid at the expense of sparkling sacs and combinations. However, the games are thoroughly enjoyable if you don't think about is earlier games too much. 3) The introduction chapter is too long, since it covers what Tal already has (before 1975). I found it a bit redundant, although it nice to have another perspective on this best part of Tal's career.

Overall, this is a must have for any Tal fan, as it is well done and gives a complete story in conjunction with "L and G." Just don't be too disappointed that it is not the same quality as Tal's classic work.

Rating:
Summary: Great effort, but not the same...
Review: Joe Gallagher does a great job on this book which is a follow-up of Tal's "Life and Games of Mikhail Tal." Gallagher is known for his great works on the openings, and that is reflected here as he uses Tal's games as a vehicle for opening study. The format is great, also following "L and G", with tournament/match results, ratings, and stories strewn about. The game notes are very good.

The downsides of this book are that 1) it is extremely hard to live up to Tal's beautiful writing and notes. Afterall, "Life and Games" is considered to be one of the best chess books ever written. Gallagher just doesn't have the same fire and passion in his writing and notes. Maybe he should have chosen a format that is different from "L and G" if he wanted to avoid such an obvious comparison. He tells some nice stories about Tal, but rather flatly. 2) the games are not of the same quality and beauty as Tal's earlier ones. The opponents are not as strong, and Tal's style dulled a bit, becoming more solid at the expense of sparkling sacs and combinations. However, the games are thoroughly enjoyable if you don't think about is earlier games too much. 3) The introduction chapter is too long, since it covers what Tal already has (before 1975). I found it a bit redundant, although it nice to have another perspective on this best part of Tal's career.

Overall, this is a must have for any Tal fan, as it is well done and gives a complete story in conjunction with "L and G." Just don't be too disappointed that it is not the same quality as Tal's classic work.

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Book
Review: Joe Gallagher goes all out in this book! Covering Tal's career from 1975 to his untimely death in 1992, Gallagher picks up where Tal left off in his autobiography. The games themselves are, of course, Tal masterpieces and are well annotated using some of Tal's own recommendations. Galllagher provides ample biographical detail to go with the games and his notes on the games themselves are very readable with not too many variations. All in all, a modern classic on "The Magician from Riga."