This witty statement by Mikhail Tal, one of the greatest chess players known for his daring and imaginative style, highlights both confidence and humor. Tal refers to sacrifices—the deliberate loss of material to gain a strategic or tactical advantage in chess.
By dividing sacrifices into "correct ones" and "mine," Tal playfully suggests that while conventional wisdom labels certain sacrifices as objectively sound or "correct," his own sacrifices, often unconventional and risky, occupy their own unique category. This reflects his self-awareness and distinctive approach to the game, where intuition and creativity sometimes trump strict calculation.
Ultimately, the quote underscores Tal’s fearless nature and the notion that in artful endeavors, personal style can redefine what is considered "correct." It’s a celebration of individuality and the courage to break norms while pursuing success.
“I prefer to make my annotations 'hot on the heels', as it were, when the fortunes of battle, the worries, hopes and disappointments are still sufficiently fresh in my mind. Much as I would like to, I cannot say this about these few games which will be given below. In fact, if the annotator should begin to use phrases of the type: 'in reply to...I had worked out the following variation...', the reader will rightly say 'Grandmaster, you are showing off', since the 'oldest' of these games is now more than 25 years old, and even the 'newest' more than 20. Therefore, I would ask you not to regard the following 'stylised' annotations too severely. ”
“Without pushing an agenda (okay, maybe I've pushed a bit), I've spread a little veganism wherever I've gone. I've become friends with chefs at the meatiest restaurants you can imagine, and shown them a few things that opened their minds (and their menus) to vegan options. It's easy to be convincing when the food is delicious. It doesn't feel like a sacrifice--it feels like a step up.”
“life isn't about black and white,look around and you will see that the world is much more colorful than you thought".”
“I know who I am, and I know who you are, and nothing else matters. it's how we live our life.”
“Pentru mine era evident, cea mai veche arheosubstanță era cerneala.”
“There are two men in me--one lives in the full sense of the word, the other reasons and passes judgment on the first. The first will perhaps take leave of you and the world forever in an hour now; and the second . . . the second?”