Mikhail Tal was simply a chess phenomenon. The "magician from Riga" stunned the chess world when he became the youngest ever World Champion (at that time) in 1960, and he won countless supporters for his scintillating tactical play and his infectious enthusiasm for the game. As former World Champion Vassily Smyslov once noted, "Tal's appearance in chess had the effect of an exploding bomb, since his style of play was distinguished by extraordinary...