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Classic game replay

Mikhail Tal vs Ivan Radulov, 1973

This replay preserves the complete 82-ply score of Tal playing White across 41 numbered moves. The board can be advanced one ply at a time; the notes stick to observable board changes rather than guessing at the players’ intentions.

On this page
  1. Practice positions
  2. Replay with move-by-move board facts
  3. PGN
  4. Sources and checking
  5. Continue with another game
White
Mikhail Tal
Black
Ivan Radulov
Event
Leningrad Interzonal
Year
1973
Result
1-0
Opening
B61 Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Modern Variation

Opening reference: Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Modern Variation (B61).

In this game, 20 half-moves are labelled opening, 57 middlegame and 5 endgame. The score contains 20 captures and 5 checks or mates; before a recorded move, the position offered a median of 35 legal choices. The source score ends after 41...Kg6 with the recorded result 1-0. Its termination tag was not retained, so this record does not infer whether the game ended by resignation, time or another cause.

Practice positions

The daily trainer uses a short set of positions from this complete score. Each link goes to the exact half-move rather than only the numbered move.

  1. 8.Qxd4 — Recapture on d48.Qxd4 was a leading choice in the fixed engine check.
  2. 16.h4 — Advance the h-pawn16.h4 was a leading choice in the fixed engine check.
  3. 23.Bxf7+ — Capture with check on f723.Bxf7+ was a leading choice in the fixed engine check.
  4. 32.Rc6 — Create pressure on c532.Rc6 was a leading choice in the fixed engine check.
  5. 41.Qe7+ — A forcing check41.Qe7+ was a leading choice in the fixed engine check.

Replay with move-by-move board facts

The board, fact panel and transcript use the same legal score. “Fixed engine check” means Stockfish 17.1, one thread, a fixed 25,000-node search and 3 candidate lines. It compares moves under one reproducible setting; it does not claim to reconstruct a player’s thoughts.

♜♞♝♛♚♝♞♜♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♜♞♝♛♚♝♞♜
Mikhail Tal vs Ivan Radulov, 1973

Start position

Use Previous and Next on the board, or select a move in the transcript. The board fact and fixed engine check remain visible until you choose another move.

Opening · 1.e4 to 10...Rc8

  1. 1.e4 Claim central space

    Board fact: White moves the pawn from e2 to e4; from there it controls d5 and f5.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · e4 e5 Nf3 Nc6.

  2. 1...c5 Advance the c-pawn

    Board fact: Black moves the pawn from c7 to c5; from there it controls d4.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · c5 Nc3 Nc6 Nf3.

  3. 2.Nf3 Develop the knight

    Board fact: White develops the knight from g1 to f3; from there it controls d4 and e5.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Nf3 e6 c3 d5.

  4. 2...Nc6 Develop the knight

    Board fact: Black develops the knight from b8 to c6; from there it controls d4 and e5.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Nc6 Bb5.

  5. 3.d4 Change the pawn structure

    Board fact: White moves the pawn from d2 to d4; the move changes the central pawn contact; from d4 it attacks Black's pawn on c5.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · d4 cxd4 Nxd4 Nf6.

  6. 3...cxd4 Exchange on d4

    Board fact: Black's pawn takes the pawn on d4; the move changes the central pawn contact; Black accepts doubled pawns on the d-file; black is ahead by 1 conventional material point after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · cxd4 Nxd4 Nf6 Nc3.

  7. 4.Nxd4 Recapture on d4

    Board fact: White's knight recaptures the pawn on d4; from d4 it attacks Black's knight on c6; material is level after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Nxd4 Nf6 Nc3 d6.

  8. 4...Nf6 Develop the knight

    Board fact: Black develops the knight from g8 to f6; from f6 it attacks White's pawn on e4.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Nf6 Nc3 e6 Nxc6.

  9. 5.Nc3 Develop the knight

    Board fact: White develops the knight from b1 to c3; from there it controls d5 and e4.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Nc3 d6 Nd5 e6.

  10. 5...d6 Advance the d-pawn

    Board fact: Black moves the pawn from d7 to d6; from there it controls e5 and c5.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · d6 Nd5 e6 Nxf6+.

  11. 6.Bg5 Develop the bishop

    Board fact: White develops the bishop from c1 to g5; from g5 it attacks Black's knight on f6.

    Fixed engine check: Near the leading choice · Bg5 e6.

  12. 6...Bd7 Develop the bishop

    Board fact: Black develops the bishop from c8 to d7; from there it controls c6, e6 and f5.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Bd7 Qd2 Nxd4 Qxd4.

  13. 7.Qd2 Reposition the queen

    Board fact: White moves the queen from d1 to d2; from there it controls d4, c3 and d3.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Qd2 Nxd4 Qxd4 e6.

  14. 7...Nxd4 Exchange on d4

    Board fact: Black's knight takes the knight on d4; from d4 it attacks White's pawn on c2; black is ahead by 3 conventional material points after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Nxd4 Qxd4 Qa5 f4.

  15. 8.Qxd4 Recapture on d4

    Board fact: White's queen recaptures the knight on d4; from d4 it attacks Black's knight on f6 and Black's pawn on a7; material is level after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Qxd4 e6 O-O-O h6.

  16. 8...Qa5 Create pressure on c3

    Board fact: Black moves the queen from d8 to a5; from a5 it attacks White's knight on c3 and White's bishop on g5.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Qa5 f4 h6 Bxf6.

  17. 9.Bd2 Reposition the bishop

    Board fact: White moves the bishop from g5 to d2; from there it controls c3, e3 and f4.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Bd2 Rc8 f3 e5.

  18. 9...e5 Create pressure on d4

    Board fact: Black moves the pawn from e7 to e5; from e5 it attacks White's queen on d4.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · e5 Nd5 Nxd5 Bxa5.

  19. 10.Qd3 Create pressure on d6

    Board fact: White moves the queen from d4 to d3; from d3 it attacks Black's pawn on d6.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Qd3 Rc8 h4 Qb6.

  20. 10...Rc8 Rook on the semi-open c-file

    Board fact: Black moves the rook from a8 to c8; the rook now works on a semi-open c-file; from c8 it attacks White's knight on c3.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Rc8.

Middlegame · 11.O-O-O to 39.gxh7+

  1. 11.O-O-O Queenside castling

    Board fact: White castles queenside, moving the king to c1 and the rook to d1. The move changes king safety and develops the rook in one turn.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · O-O-O Be7.

  2. 11...a6 Advance the a-pawn

    Board fact: Black moves the pawn from a7 to a6.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · a6 Kb1 Qb6 f4.

  3. 12.a3 Advance the a-pawn

    Board fact: White moves the pawn from a2 to a3.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · a3 Qb6 f3 Qd4.

  4. 12...Be6 Reposition the bishop

    Board fact: Black moves the bishop from d7 to e6; from there it controls d5, c4 and f5.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Be6 Kb1 Qb6 f4.

  5. 13.f3 Advance the f-pawn

    Board fact: White moves the pawn from f2 to f3; from there it controls e4.

    Fixed engine check: Near the leading choice · f3.

  6. 13...Qc7 Create pressure on c3

    Board fact: Black moves the queen from a5 to c7; from c7 it attacks White's knight on c3.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Qc7 f4 Be7 Kb1.

  7. 14.Kb1 Reposition the king

    Board fact: White moves the king from c1 to b1; from b1 it reinforces the pawn on b2.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Kb1 Be7 g4 O-O.

  8. 14...Nd7 Reroute the knight

    Board fact: Black moves the knight from f6 to d7; from there it controls e5, c5 and f6.

    Fixed engine check: Near the leading choice · Nd7 Nd5.

  9. 15.Be3 Reposition the bishop

    Board fact: White moves the bishop from d2 to e3; from there it controls d4, c5 and f4.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Be3.

  10. 15...Be7 Develop the bishop

    Board fact: Black develops the bishop from f8 to e7; from there it controls d6 and f6.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Be7 g4.

  11. 16.h4 Advance the h-pawn

    Board fact: White moves the pawn from h2 to h4.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · h4 O-O.

  12. 16...O-O Kingside castling

    Board fact: Black castles kingside, moving the king to g8 and the rook to f8. The move changes king safety and develops the rook in one turn.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · O-O h5 b5 h6.

  13. 17.g3 Advance the g-pawn

    Board fact: White moves the pawn from g2 to g3; from there it controls f4.

    Fixed engine check: Near the leading choice · g3 b5.

  14. 17...b5 Advance the b-pawn

    Board fact: Black moves the pawn from b7 to b5; from there it controls c4.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · b5 Nd5 Bxd5 Qxd5.

  15. 18.f4 Change the pawn structure

    Board fact: White moves the pawn from f3 to f4; the move changes the central pawn contact; from f4 it attacks Black's pawn on e5.

    Fixed engine check: Near the leading choice · f4 Nf6.

  16. 18...Nc5 Create pressure on d3

    Board fact: Black moves the knight from d7 to c5; from c5 it attacks White's queen on d3 and White's pawn on e4.

    Fixed engine check: Playable; Nf6 ranked higher · Nc5 Bxc5.

  17. 19.Bxc5 Exchange on c5

    Board fact: White's bishop takes the knight on c5; from c5 it attacks Black's pawn on d6; white is ahead by 3 conventional material points after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Bxc5 dxc5 f5 Rcd8.

  18. 19...Qxc5 Recapture on c5

    Board fact: Black's queen recaptures the bishop on c5; from c5 it attacks White's knight on c3 and White's pawn on a3; material is level after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Playable; dxc5 ranked higher · Qxc5 f5 Bc4 Qd2.

  19. 20.f5 Change the pawn structure

    Board fact: White moves the pawn from f4 to f5; the move changes the central pawn contact; from f5 it attacks Black's bishop on e6.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · f5 Bc4.

  20. 20...Bc4 Create pressure on d3

    Board fact: Black moves the bishop from e6 to c4; from c4 it attacks White's queen on d3.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Bc4 Qd2.

  21. 21.Qd2 Create pressure on d6

    Board fact: White moves the queen from d3 to d2; from d2 it attacks Black's pawn on d6.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Qd2 Rfe8 Bxc4 Qxc4.

  22. 21...d5 Change the pawn structure

    Board fact: Black moves the pawn from d6 to d5; the move changes the central pawn contact; from d5 it attacks White's pawn on e4.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · d5 Bxc4.

  23. 22.Bxc4 Exchange on c4

    Board fact: White's bishop takes the bishop on c4; from c4 it attacks Black's pawn on b5 and Black's pawn on d5; white is ahead by 3 conventional material points after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Bxc4 dxc4 Nd5 Rfd8.

  24. 22...d4 Change the pawn structure

    Board fact: Black moves the pawn from d5 to d4; the move changes the central pawn contact; from d4 it attacks White's knight on c3.

    Fixed engine check: Playable; dxc4 ranked higher · d4 Bxf7+ Rxf7 Nd5.

  25. 23.Bxf7+ Capture with check on f7

    Board fact: White's bishop takes the pawn on f7; the move checks Black's king; white is ahead by 4 conventional material points after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Bxf7+ Rxf7 Nd5 Qc6.

  26. 23...Rxf7 Recapture on f7

    Board fact: Black's rook recaptures the bishop on f7; the rook now works on a semi-open f-file; from f7 it attacks White's pawn on f5; white is ahead by 1 conventional material point after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Rxf7 Nd5 Bf8 g4.

  27. 24.Nd5 Create pressure on e7

    Board fact: White moves the knight from c3 to d5; from d5 it attacks Black's bishop on e7.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Nd5.

  28. 24...Bf8 Reposition the bishop

    Board fact: Black moves the bishop from e7 to f8; from there it controls c5 and d6.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Bf8 h5.

  29. 25.g4 Advance the g-pawn

    Board fact: White moves the pawn from g3 to g4; from there it controls f5.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · g4 Qc6 h5 b4.

  30. 25...Rd7 Create pressure on d5

    Board fact: Black moves the rook from f7 to d7; from d7 it attacks White's knight on d5.

    Fixed engine check: Near the leading choice · Rd7 Qd3 a5 g5.

  31. 26.g5 Advance the g-pawn

    Board fact: White moves the pawn from g4 to g5; from there it controls f6.

    Fixed engine check: Near the leading choice · g5 Rxd5 exd5 b4.

  32. 26...a5 Advance the a-pawn

    Board fact: Black moves the pawn from a6 to a5.

    Fixed engine check: Near the leading choice · a5 h5 Rxd5 exd5.

  33. 27.Qd3 Create pressure on b5

    Board fact: White moves the queen from d2 to d3; from d3 it attacks Black's pawn on b5 and Black's pawn on d4.

    Fixed engine check: Playable; h5 ranked higher · Qd3 Rb7 h5 b4.

  34. 27...a4 Advance the a-pawn

    Board fact: Black moves the pawn from a5 to a4.

    Fixed engine check: Near the leading choice · a4 Rdf1 Rb7 h5.

  35. 28.h5 Advance the h-pawn

    Board fact: White moves the pawn from h4 to h5.

    Fixed engine check: Near the leading choice · h5 Rxd5 exd5 b4.

  36. 28...Rxd5 Exchange on d5

    Board fact: Black's rook takes the knight on d5; from d5 it reinforces the queen on c5; black is ahead by 2 conventional material points after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Rxd5 exd5.

  37. 29.exd5 Recapture on d5

    Board fact: White's pawn recaptures the rook on d5; the pawn is now passed; the move changes the central pawn contact; white is ahead by 3 conventional material points after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · exd5 b4 h6 gxh6.

  38. 29...b4 Create pressure on a3

    Board fact: Black moves the pawn from b5 to b4; from b4 it attacks White's pawn on a3.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · b4 h6 gxh6 Rdg1.

  39. 30.h6 Create pressure on g7

    Board fact: White moves the pawn from h5 to h6; from h6 it attacks Black's pawn on g7.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · h6 gxh6 Rxh6 bxa3.

  40. 30...gxh6 Exchange on h6

    Board fact: Black's pawn takes the pawn on h6; the move changes the central pawn contact; Black accepts doubled pawns on the h-file; from h6 it attacks White's pawn on g5; white is ahead by 2 conventional material points after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · gxh6 Rxh6 bxa3 Rc6.

  41. 31.Rxh6 Recapture on h6

    Board fact: White's rook recaptures the pawn on h6; the rook now works on a semi-open h-file; from h6 it attacks Black's pawn on h7; white is ahead by 3 conventional material points after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Rxh6 bxa3 Rc6 Rxc6.

  42. 31...bxa3 Exchange on a3

    Board fact: Black's pawn takes the pawn on a3; the move changes the central pawn contact; Black accepts doubled pawns on the a-file; from a3 it attacks White's pawn on b2; white is ahead by 2 conventional material points after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · bxa3 Rc6.

  43. 32.Rc6 Create pressure on c5

    Board fact: White moves the rook from h6 to c6; from c6 it attacks Black's queen on c5 and Black's rook on c8.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Rc6 Rxc6 dxc6 axb2.

  44. 32...Rxc6 Exchange on c6

    Board fact: Black's rook takes the rook on c6; the rook now works on a semi-open c-file; from c6 it reinforces the queen on c5; black is ahead by 3 conventional material points after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Rxc6 dxc6 axb2 g6.

  45. 33.dxc6 Recapture on c6

    Board fact: White's pawn recaptures the rook on c6; the pawn is now passed; the move changes the central pawn contact; White accepts doubled pawns on the c-file; white is ahead by 2 conventional material points after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · dxc6 Qxc6 bxa3 Qb6+.

  46. 33...Qxc6 Recapture on c6

    Board fact: Black's queen recaptures the pawn on c6; from c6 it attacks White's pawn on c2; white is ahead by 1 conventional material point after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Qxc6 bxa3 Kh8 Re1.

  47. 34.bxa3 Exchange on a3

    Board fact: White's pawn takes the pawn on a3; the move changes the central pawn contact; white is ahead by 2 conventional material points after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · bxa3 Kh8 Re1 Qb6+.

  48. 34...Qd5 Reposition the queen

    Board fact: Black moves the queen from c6 to d5; from there it controls d4, e4 and e5.

    Fixed engine check: Near the leading choice · Qd5 f6 Qb7+ Ka1.

  49. 35.f6 Advance a passed pawn

    Board fact: White moves the pawn from f5 to f6; the pawn is now passed.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · f6 Kh8 Re1 Qb7+.

  50. 35...Bc5 Develop the bishop

    Board fact: Black develops the bishop from f8 to c5; from c5 it attacks White's pawn on a3.

    Fixed engine check: Playable; Qb7+ ranked higher · Bc5 g6 hxg6 Qxg6+.

  51. 36.g6 Create pressure on h7

    Board fact: White moves the pawn from g5 to g6; from g6 it attacks Black's pawn on h7.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · g6 Qb7+ Ka1 hxg6.

  52. 36...e4 Advance a passed pawn

    Board fact: Black moves the pawn from e5 to e4; the pawn is now passed; from e4 it attacks White's queen on d3.

    Fixed engine check: Recorded move; hxg6 ranked higher · e4 gxh7+ Kh8 Qg3.

  53. 37.Qb5 Create pressure on c5

    Board fact: White moves the queen from d3 to b5; from b5 it attacks Black's bishop on c5 and Black's pawn on a4.

    Fixed engine check: Recorded move; gxh7+ ranked higher · Qb5 d3.

  54. 37...d3 Change the pawn structure

    Board fact: Black moves the pawn from d4 to d3; the move changes the central pawn contact; from d3 it attacks White's pawn on c2.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · d3 gxh7+ Kf7 cxd3.

  55. 38.Qe8+ A forcing check

    Board fact: White moves the queen from b5 to e8; the move checks Black's king; from e8 it attacks Black's pawn on a4 and Black's pawn on e4.

    Fixed engine check: Playable; gxh7+ ranked higher · Qe8+.

  56. 38...Bf8 Answering the check

    Board fact: Black answers the check by moving the bishop from c5 to f8; from f8 it attacks White's pawn on a3.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Bf8 Rg1.

  57. 39.gxh7+ Capture with check on h7

    Board fact: White's pawn takes the pawn on h7; the move checks Black's king; the pawn is now passed; the move changes the central pawn contact; white is ahead by 3 conventional material points after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Recorded move; Rg1 ranked higher · gxh7+ Kxh7 Rh1+ Bh6.

Endgame · 39...Kxh7 to 41...Kg6

  1. 39...Kxh7 Recapture on h7

    Board fact: Black's king recaptures the pawn on h7; the reduced material makes this king activation practical; white is ahead by 2 conventional material points after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Kxh7 Rh1+.

  2. 40.Rh1+ A forcing check

    Board fact: White moves the rook from d1 to h1; the move checks Black's king; the rook now occupies the open h-file; from h1 it reinforces the king on b1.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Rh1+ Bh6 Qe7+ Kg6.

  3. 40...Bh6 Answering the check

    Board fact: Black develops the bishop from f8 to h6; from there it controls e3 and f4.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Bh6 Qe7+ Kg6 Rg1+.

  4. 41.Qe7+ A forcing check

    Board fact: White moves the queen from e8 to e7; the move checks Black's king; from e7 it attacks Black's pawn on e4.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Qe7+.

  5. 41...Kg6 Answering the check

    Board fact: Black answers the check by moving the king from h7 to g6; from g6 it attacks White's pawn on f6.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Kg6 Rg1+ Kf5 Qh7+.

PGN

[Event "Leningrad Interzonal"] [Site "?"] [Date "1973.??.??"] [White "Tal, Mikhail"] [Black "Radulov, Ivan"] [Result "1-0"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bg5 Bd7 7. Qd2 Nxd4 8. Qxd4 Qa5 9. Bd2 e5 10. Qd3 Rc8 11. O-O-O a6 12. a3 Be6 13. f3 Qc7 14. Kb1 Nd7 15. Be3 Be7 16. h4 O-O 17. g3 b5 18. f4 Nc5 19. Bxc5 Qxc5 20. f5 Bc4 21. Qd2 d5 22. Bxc4 d4 23. Bxf7+ Rxf7 24. Nd5 Bf8 25. g4 Rd7 26. g5 a5 27. Qd3 a4 28. h5 Rxd5 29. exd5 b4 30. h6 gxh6 31. Rxh6 bxa3 32. Rc6 Rxc6 33. dxc6 Qxc6 34. bxa3 Qd5 35. f6 Bc5 36. g6 e4 37. Qb5 d3 38. Qe8+ Bf8 39. gxh7+ Kxh7 40. Rh1+ Bh6 41. Qe7+ Kg6 1-0

Sources and checking

Score source: Chess Database, version 1 by Ana Schaigorodsky (2016), licensed under CC BY 4.0. LibreChess selected the exact score identified by sha256:92865ec43a8a1a20016c9240d55e14843cfa13cae02013eded5d7496f5666d67 and pins it in the selection manifest.
Exact Figshare tags:
White="Tal, Mihail"; Black="Radulov, Ivan"; Event="Leningrad Interzonal"; Date="1973.??.??"; Result="1-0".
Reviewed display mapping: white Tal, Mihail → Tal, Mikhail. LibreChess parsed the main line with chess.js and stores normalised SAN. Source comments, side variations and termination detail were not retained.

LibreChess checks every SAN move with chess.js and compares the result and move sequence with a stored reference. The engine comparison was calculated offline from the fixed settings above; it is not a source for historical claims. No termination is inferred where the imported score does not preserve one.

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