White to move. Larsen's king is still in the centre. Tal offered a knight to blow open the position and keep the king trapped. Can you find the sacrifice?
Mikhail Tal vs Bent Larsen
Why this game matters
Bled, 1965. In their Candidates semifinal, Mikhail Tal — the 'Magician from Riga' — faced the brilliant Dane Bent Larsen, the strongest Western player of the era. With 16.Nb5!! Tal offered a knight to tear open the c-file and trap Larsen's king in the centre, then converted the long-term pressure into a win. It is one of the most celebrated sacrifices of Tal's career.
The lesson
Tal's sacrifices were not blind gambles — they were investments in lasting initiative. 16.Nb5!! gives up material for an exposed enemy king and open lines, and Tal keeps the pressure on for twenty moves until Larsen cracks. Sometimes the compensation is not immediate mate but permanent, suffocating pressure.
Move by move
1. e41.e4 Nf6 — the Alekhine Defence. Larsen invites White's pawns forward, planning to attack the over-extended centre. Tal is glad to play sharply.
6. Qf36.Qf3 — Tal develops with threats, keeping the position tense and full of tactical chances, just how he likes it.
15. a315.a3 — a small move with a big point: it kicks the knight and prepares the coming combination on b5.
16. Nb516.Nb5!! The sacrifice. Tal offers the knight to rip open the c-file with check and keep Larsen's king stranded in the centre.
17. Qxb5+17.Qxb5+ — the point: check, and Black's king is dragged to d8, unable to castle, with open lines all around it.
18. c418.c4 keeps hammering the centre, opening more lines toward the exposed king.
21. Qe221.Qe2 — Tal patiently improves; the compensation is long-term pressure, not an immediate mate.
29. Rac129.Rac1 — both rooks now bear down the open files. Larsen's king has never found safety.
32. Bxb532.Bxb5 wins back material with interest while the bind tightens.
34. Bc634.Bc6 — the bishop traps the queen and the position collapses. Larsen resigned. A sacrifice that paid off through twenty moves of pressure.
Frequently asked
What made Tal's sacrifices so famous?
Tal, the eighth World Champion and 'Magician from Riga', sacrificed material not for forced mate but for initiative, open lines and an exposed enemy king. Opponents found the resulting complications almost impossible to navigate over the board.
Was 16.Nb5 objectively sound?
The sacrifice gives Tal lasting compensation — an enemy king stuck in the centre and open lines — rather than a forced win. Against the strong defender Larsen, Tal needed twenty more accurate moves to convert it, which is exactly the point: the pressure never let up.
Can I try the sacrifice?
Yes — take the board as Tal at move 16 and try to find the knight sacrifice, or replay the whole game move by move, no sign-up.