Mikhail Tal's Smashing Sicilian Miniature - Tal vs. NN, 1963
Mikhail Tal loves to attack in the Sicilian Defense, and one of his favorite squares to attack is e6.
In this game against an unknown opponent from 1963, Tal quickly goes for a very tempting and dangerous Nxe6 sacrifice. Although Black could have defended by marching into the lion's maw and capturing Tal's pawn on e6, a passive tactical error gave Tal a quick and crushing victory featuring an aesthetic version of Samuel Boden's famous checkmate.
Lessons:
- Watch for e6 sacrifices in the Sicilian Defense!
- Know your mating patterns - e.g. Boden's Mate.
My notes are below. To really understand this crazy Sicilian variation, Polugaevsky's "Grandmaster Preparation" is a must-read!
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