Tal, a conversation with an alien by Anonymous

Author:Anonymous [Anonymous]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2012-07-15T18:30:00+00:00

Tal

--There was a moment of silence now. My guest stood up, went to the kitchen and brought me my teakettle. He poured some tea into my now empty cup, put the teakettle on a coaster on the table and sat down. It was getting quite dark and I could now hear the rain outside tapping my window. The silence was beginning to be uncomfortable so I asked him a further question.

Ok, so I think I understand the science behind the multiverse. Any single universe is just one of many variations in the multiverse. And you are claiming you can observe these variations. But how can you possibly observe many worlds simultaneously?

--He opened his next bottle of juice, looked down at my chessboard and said,

Do you know the great chess grand master Mikhail Tal?

Of course. He was the eighth World Chess champion, won the title in 1960, at the age of 23, at that time the youngest champion ever. He was known as the Wizard of Riga, his birthplace, for his imaginative and aggressive attacking style. I personally prefer the more conservative controlled approach of Karpov. But Tal is a favorite of many chess players. His style was both ruthless and beautiful. He sacrificed his pieces in suicidal attacks that almost always lead to an awe-inspiring win. He was also known for his steely glare, which he used to great effect in intimidating the young Bobby Fischer.

A very animated description! As with many geniuses, Tal's life imitated his art. He drank, smoked and was constantly hospitalized for various health conditions. At fifty-five, he already looked like a ghost. I was there when he rose from his deathbed, walked over to a famous chess tournament in Moscow, and proceeded to beat the reigning World Champion Gary Kasparov, then in his prime. When the tournament ended, he went back to the hospital and died shortly after.

Yes, that story is legendary in chess circles.

Tal was famous, like Paul Morphy before him, for playing interesting simuls. You have heard of a simul?

Yes, it is a simultaneous exhibition. Many grandmasters will show off their skills by playing games versus many players simultaneously, often 30 or 40 players, but the record is over 600.

Correct, and how does the grandmaster play against all of these players, do his opponents all get together and decide on a move?

No, each opponent has his own chessboard and makes his own unique moves. The grandmaster will go from board to board in order, making one move at each board. Usually his opponents are arranged in a circle or square so that the GM will return to his starting point. He will then make the second move and go around the circle again. This can take some time. As he wins, players drop out, and by the end, there are usually just a few players left. Grandmasters perform simuls just about everywhere they go, this way many people get a chance to play them. They are so good at what they do, even though they are contemplating 30 or 40 different games, they still win a vast majority of the time.

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