Just how good was Tal?

And yes, the title is purely rhetorical. I remember posting this once over on the Greenpawn forums (way back when) and several of the members actually got into a serious discussion about it, with pros and cons. lol

At any rate, this position--taken from early in game three of his first match with Botvinnik--as well as the accompanying narrative come from his own (superb) book about that match.

Herewith a boardside account from the Magician himself: "I intended to begin gambit play with 9 a3 Bxc3 10 bc de 11 fe Nxe4 12 Qf3 Qa5 13 Rh3 Ndf6. White examined the following variation: 14 h5 O-O-O 15 h6 gh 16 Be5 Ng5 17 Qxf6 Nxh3 18 Kd2 Ng5 19 Bd3..."

https://lichess.org/editor/2kr3r/pp3p1p/2p1pQ1p/q3B1n1/3P4/P1PB4/2PK1P2/R7_w_-_-_0_1?color=white

"I examined this position thinking that White has a fine initiative for the sacrifice of the exchange, but suddenly I felt a shiver go down my spine when I saw 19... Qxe5!! and the game turns into an everyday endgame."

I mean, it would take me a minute or two to find such a resource in a Puzzle--even knowing that there was such a shot to be found!--yet Mischa spots it on his own. And ten full moves ahead. Unbelievable.

(Incidentally, I also liked that whole "shiver down the spine" business; whether patzer or genius, we've all no doubt felt that time and again. It's another of the reasons why Tal seems one of the most human of the great players.)

As he himself said about playing Fischer: "It is difficult to play against Einstein's theory." Anyway, no wonder the guy once beat Bobby four times in a row! :D