Was Mikhail Tal so great because he was so drunk?
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Not sure if he was drunk while playing, but he was a junkie so he was certainly high.
is there any record of him playing while drunk?
He would have been a lot better if he would have been clean and sober.
I think one's (i.e., my) creativity level goes up (slightly) after 2 drinks. Brass Monkey excluded.
Was Mikhail Tal so great because he was so drunk? Of course not. Tal was a great player in spite of his excessive drinking. No one ever benefits by living their life as a fall down drunk
nope, he would have played better without nicotine.
gingerninja2003 wrote:
Mikhail Tal, a very famous world chess champion, is well known for his imaginative play with insane sacrifices but it is also known that he was an alcoholic.
Only being "known" in your own mind doesn't count.
I think it is true. Because he was so drunk and stoned and don t forget he smoked a lot!
And yeah you know you play so much better then! In general , I think the more druks using the better moves you will get. 
Max Euwe was interviewed by Pal Benko. Here is one exchange, regarding the 1935 world championship match:
‘Benko: I have heard many rumors that Alekhine was drinking heavily during the match and was behaving strangely sometimes. Can you comment?
Euwe: I don’t think he was drinking more then than he usually did. Of course he could drink as much as he wanted: at his hotel it was all free. The owner of the Carlton Hotel, where he stayed, was a member of the Euwe Committee, but it was a natural courtesy to the illustrious guest that he should not be asked to pay for his drinks. I think it helps to drink a little, but not in the long run. I regretted not having drunk at all during the second match with Alekhine.
http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/alekhinealcohol.html
Do people play better when they're a little bit drunk? == Do people drive better when they're a little bit drunk? I wouldn't know because I've never bothered to learn to drive (which isn't that unusual over here).
Posted from a pub in London (the Artillery Arms).
Heather_Stephens wrote:
Do people play better when they're a little bit drunk? == Do people drive better when they're a little bit drunk? I wouldn't know because I've never bothered to learn to drive (which isn't that unusual over here).
Posted from a pub in London (the Artillery Arms).
Yes they do, which is why it's illegal to drive while drunk. According to numerous police studies, alcohol enchances one's ability to drive to such an extent that criminals who chug a glass of beer before getting behind the wheel of their getaway car have a vastly higher chance of evading capture by pursuing cops. Thus, it's not surprising that in the interest of preventing crime, driving while drunk has been made illegal.
(Posted from the General Arnold.)
Alcohol is a destructive clever drug. Anybody who thinks it improves their chess playing ability is delusional. It is like saying 'I'm so witty when drunk'. Yes to oneself, a complete bore to the rest.
GM Tal was great because he can out calculate against anyone; tacticians are superb calculator, Chigorin, Alekhine and Kasparov.
I think he would have been an even better player without his struggles with addiction. Much of his inconsistent performance was likely influenced by these problems. He would perform brilliantly in one tournament, only to struggle in the next.
Part of what makes him so legendary—besides being an extraordinarily talented player—is that he was widely regarded as a very likable person. He was known to be patient with fans and never gave the impression of looking down on weaker players. There are also many stories of him admiring clever moves his opponents played against him. Unlike some other great players, who were often quite egotistical, Tal seemed to keep his ego under control. However, his addictions must have placed a significant strain on his personal life, likely causing difficulties for his family and friends. I don't want to glorify him, but he seems to have been, overall, a friendly and humble person who didn’t take himself too seriously.
His risky playing style may also reflect aspects of his personality. Tal seemed to play more for the love and joy of the game rather than being purely focused on achieving the highest scores. This might have made him more willing to attempt bold and risky sacrifices that others would have avoided. Just because they made the game fun and interesting.
Mikhail Tal, a very famous world chess champion, is well known for his imaginative play with insane sacrifices but it is also known that he was an alcoholic. Could it be that he may have been drunk while playing chess and because of this be more inclined to play outrageous sacrifices which as a result confused his opponents resulting in multiple wins? Of course this is just speculation but what do you think?