Rating: 
Summary: Highly Recommended
Review: As most other reviewers state over and over this is a great chess book. Tal provides insight on why he chose almost every move in his championship games against Botvinik in 1960.I am a strong expert player. After reading this book, I drew with two IMs in the next tournament I played in, and in both those games I had winning positions when the draw was agreed. I am not saying that this book will have the same effect on any reader. However, weak squares, strong vs. weak bishops, pawn breaks and a lot of other tactical and positional concepts will implicitely become a part of your chess awareness if you read this book. Chess enjoyment and implicit teaching are provided by this book. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Reedición de un clásico
Review: El autor relata "su" match de 1960 con brillantez y profundos comentarios psicológicos. Comparado con las notas contemporáneas de Shajmatii hay un mundo de diferencia. Se respira ajedrez de 24 horas mezclado con tabaco, seguramente algo de vodka, problemas políticos (por cierto encubiertos) y una pasión por el juego que convierte el tablero en una lucha no-científica. Este libro fue publicado por ediciones catalán hace largos años y esta versión en inglés ¡40 años después del encuentro! está plenamente justificada.
Rating:
Summary: Reedición de un clásico
Review: El autor relata "su" match de 1960 con brillantez y profundos comentarios psicológicos. Comparado con las notas contemporáneas de Shajmatii hay un mundo de diferencia. Se respira ajedrez de 24 horas mezclado con tabaco, seguramente algo de vodka, problemas políticos (por cierto encubiertos) y una pasión por el juego que convierte el tablero en una lucha no-científica. Este libro fue publicado por ediciones catalán hace largos años y esta versión en inglés ¡40 años después del encuentro! está plenamente justificada.
Rating:
Summary: An absolute must buy
Review: One of the great World championship matches. Just a great book for any chess player of average or above playing strength.
Rating:
Summary: An absolute must buy
Review: One of the great World championship matches. Just a great book for any chess player of average or above playing strength.
Rating: 
Summary: Algebraic notation is cumbersome here
Review: The long version of algebraic notation is used where I prefer either the English algebraic or figurine versions- this long algebraic notation is very distracting.
Two of the games here are duplicated in Tal's Life and Games (Everyman 1997).
Rating:
Summary: great book, but binding and cover are poor
Review: There was a time when chess was boring: home preparation, no sacrifices, then came a magician from Riga, Mikhail Tal. This book is a milestone in chess literature because it tells the story of 1960 World Championship match from inside; Tal himself tells the story and we are lucky because "the magician from Riga" was an excellent writer, so I was very happy last year when Russell Enterprises republished the book, alas the typographical quality is very poor.
Rating:
Summary: One of the very best ...
Review: This book is quite simply a treasure. I used to have an older copy of this same book, but after nearly 30 years it practically disintegrated, so I purchased a new copy. The first thing was that I was impressed by the quality of this new edition. A nice flex-cover, clear, white pages with a very clear font, diagrams ... nothing seems to have been missed. You even get a few black-and-white photographs. The games are as carefully and lovingly annotated as any player could want. (Sometimes there is literally a comment after every move!) Additionally, you get a constant update as to the times the players took on each move. (Any serious tournament player could try to model themselves from this ... knowing when to think and when not to is important information for any competitor in rated events. Most books do NOT give you this kind of information!) Some reasons NOT to buy this book:
# 1.) If you are a bare-bones beginner, there are many much better books out there that are probably better suited for teaching you the game. (But I do not see how anyone who seriously applied himself or herself would not improve after a careful study of this book.)
# 2.) Do not buy this book thinking casual study will turn you into this type of player. These two were the paragon of chess. Studying these games will help you improve, but statistically your chances of playing at this level of chess is very small, the odds are greater that you will win a lottery. (But the explanation ... AFTER EVERY MOVE - in some cases - will certainly be an eye-opener for most students.)
# 3.) Don't buy this book thinking it is the latest in chess theory, many of these lines are NOT being played today!!! The main reason you would want to purchase this book is that you love the game and would like to study Tal's exquisite notes ... some of the best ever written by a competitor at this level. THIS IS QUITE POSSIBLY THE BEST BOOK ON ANY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH - - - PERIOD!!!!! I would think that this is a book you would come back to again and again and again!
Rating: 
Summary: The best written WC book of all time
Review: This has to be the most approachable WC book i've ever read. The annotations are very approachable, even for a weaker player such as myself. Variations are kept within reason. The real nice thing about the book is it gives you this feeling of being there, with Tal setting the scene both in words and with some very nice photographs throughout the book. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A great addition to any chess lovers library!
Review: This is a really fine book. I agree with the other reviewers and will try not to just repeat what has already been said above. There are so many things to enjoy about this book- the notes and comments by Tal are magnificent. It is very interesting to get "inside his head" as he discusses not just the moves, but moods and psychology of the players and match. The type font and the diagrams are all first rate. In addition to the 21 games contested during the actual world championship, there are another 23 supplemental games between Tal and Botvinnik included at the end of the book. The notes to the moves are just the right mix of words and analysis. Many modern books go overboard on analysis and skimp on the verbal commentary. This might be fine for players rated 2000 USCF and above (if you don't know what this means - trust me you aren't rated up there!), but for the vast majority of players it just sets the head spinning and provides no useful cues to help evaluate a position. This book has enough analysis to be useful, but backs it up with much verbal commentary explaining the motives behind the magic (er, the moves) by Tal. If you are looking to pluck down $ 20.00 or so for a great chess book, this one should be on your list of candidates!
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