Sally Landau and Mikhail Tal: And at night he taught her to play chess

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

He could play blindly on ten chessboards, not writing anything down and memorizing his every move, while at the same time accurately calculating the opponent's moves in advance. Mikhail Tal was a winner in life who burst into the chess world like a ball of lightning. For him, there was no authority or regularity in chess. His sacrifices on the chessboard were inexplicable, and the traps he set up led to victory after victory. But there was the most important and longest game in his life, which he lost. Mikhail Tal could not beat the beautiful Sally Landau in a life tournament.

At the crossroads of two worlds

They met in the most luxurious Riga restaurant Astoria at the New Year's Eve. Sasha Zamchuk, a fan of Sally, introduced her to the rising star of the chess world, Mikhail Tal. And all evening, mutual acquaintances tirelessly talked about the young chess player. But Sally at that time herself was a fairly well-known person: a popular theater actress and pop singer enjoyed success with men and was loved by the audience.

In addition, the world of chess was of no interest to her, and Mikhail made absolutely no impression on the actress. She left the restaurant with her friends, and after that one of them informed Sally about Tal's invitation to visit him.

It was there that she first performed Rachmaninoff's Elegy for Mikhail and his parents. At that moment they did not yet know that the words from this work will become the main theme of their feelings: "I did not tell you all the words …"

They began to meet, but the relationship was not easy at all. Tal tried to completely subdue his beloved, controlling her every step. Each delay after the performance or the glance of a fan in her direction led to a scandal. The proud beauty was suffocating. The last straw was Mikhail's unwillingness to let her go to the theater for a rehearsal. Sally's attempts to explain that theater is her life were in vain. They quarreled, Tal slapped her in the face, after which the girl resolutely left, being sure of the final separation.

Brilliant Blitz

Michael then went to bed, his legs simply gave up. This already happened when he learned about the death of his father. Then he was saved by playing chess. Mima took him to the tournament, and after winning it, Tal began to recover. This time everything seemed much more complicated. Mom tried to persuade Sally to visit her sick son, who was to travel to the Candidates Tournament in Yugoslavia. She did not like the choice of her son at all, but for his sake she was ready to reconcile with her. But Sally flatly refused to meet.

When Tal returned home with a victory, one of his acquaintances accidentally threw Sally that now he did not need her. But the girl was sure: if she just called Mikhail, he would rush to her. And so it happened. However, the girl did not suspect that her imaginary victory was one of those traps that the genius chess player loves so much. Six months later, he brought Sally to the registry office to submit an application, assuring the bride that she could refuse at any time, because they would be given half a year to think about it. She entered the registry office of Sally Landau, and left it as his wife Sally Tal. She became the wife of Mikhail, not even having time to understand what had happened.

Union with genius

It was difficult for Sally. After Tal at 23 became the world champion, beating Botvinnik himself, there were always people in their house. The pioneers came to adopt the style of the celebrity's game, friends came to the dacha, who at first also played chess, and then had fun until dawn. And then she was waiting for the birth of a child. Gera was born in October 1960.

In everyday life, Tal was unbearable. If he wanted to eat, then by default it was believed that Saska, as he called her, was also dying of hunger. If he decided to play chess, she was sure to be with him. She literally forced him to take a bath, tearing him away from the exciting party that he expected. At the same time, he asked in what sequence he should wash.

Tal adored his wife and young son, but at the same time believed that his fleeting relationships with other women had absolutely nothing to do with his family. He called her from everywhere, said a bunch of affection, was interested in the affairs of Bun or Goose (as he affectionately called his son), even being next to another woman. At the same time, he took his mistress with him everywhere, not considering it necessary to hide his adventures.

When he was summoned to the Central Committee and offered to determine his status, he declared that he had the right to decide for himself how he should live: with his wife, with his mistress, or both at once. In response, he was banned from leaving the country. Sally resolved the problem by filing for divorce.

I didn't tell you all the words …

But even after the divorce, they lived in the same apartment, where Mikhail began to bring his women. After Sally broke down and started an affair with a high-ranking official. It was the end. Later, Sally Landau will leave for Germany, where she will get married and try to be happy. Mikhail Tal will be officially married twice more. The second wife, a Georgian actress, will run away from him a few days after the wedding, the third Gela will become a faithful friend for many years and will give birth to his daughter Zhanna. There will be in his life and the last love - Marina.

But from all over the world he will call Sally and sing into the receiver: “I didn’t tell you all the words …” 25 years have passed since his death, but she still waits for a call from him and very often sees in her dreams.

Mikhail Tal strove to build his life according to his own rules, as another chess genius and the most famous paranoid of the 21st century, a national hero of America and at the same time a deserter and a traitor.