Douglas Griffin on X: Ex-World Champion Mikhail Tal (b. Riga, 1936; d. Moscow, 1992), pictured at Wijk aan Zee, January 1988. (📷: #chess / X

Douglas Griffin on X: Mikhail Tal v. Tigran Petrosian, 25th USSR-ch, Riga 1958, which featured the trademark positional exchange sacrifice by Petrosian, 31Rf4! Semyon Furman looks on. ('#Chess in the USSR', No.

Douglas Griffin on X: Pictured at Wijk aan Zee, January 1982 - ex-World Champion Mikhail Tal (1936-1992). (📷: #chess / X

Douglas Griffin on X: Wijk aan Zee, 16th January 1976. Pictured in play before their encounter in the opening round of the Hoogovens tournament - ex -World Champion Mikhail Tal (USSR) & Swedish grandmaster Ulf Andersson. ( Photo credit: R. Mieremet

Douglas Griffin on X: Mikhail Tal, pictured in play v. Garry Kasparov in the 5th round of the Moscow Interzonal tournament, 5th September 1982. The game, an early example of the 5.Bg5

Douglas Griffin on X: Wijk aan Zee, 16th January 1976. Pictured in play before their encounter in the opening round of the Hoogovens tournament - ex -World Champion Mikhail Tal (USSR) & Swedish

Douglas Griffin on X: Riga, of course, has a long and rich #chess history. 40 years ago this September, Mikhail Tal scored one of the greatest results of his later career, winning

Douglas Griffin on X: Mikhail Tal (USSR) v. Theodor Ghiţescu (Romania), 14th Olympiad, Leipzig 1960. (Source: unknown.) #chess / X

Douglas Griffin on X: Ex-World Champion Mikhail Tal (b. Riga, 1936; d. Moscow, 1992), pictured at Wijk aan Zee, January 1988. (📷: #chess / X

Douglas Griffin on X: Baku, 11th December 1961. The 16th round of the 28th USSR Championship. Ex-World Champion Mikhail Tal (Riga) makes his opening move v. Bukhuti Gurgenidze (Tbilisi). Tal won the

Douglas Griffin on X: Mikhail Tal v. Tigran Petrosian, 25th USSR-ch, Riga 1958, which featured the trademark positional exchange sacrifice by Petrosian, 31Rf4! Semyon Furman looks on. ('#Chess in the USSR', No.

Douglas Griffin on X: At the demonstration board, the 8th World Champion, Mikhail Tal (b. Riga, 9th Nov 1936; d. Moscow, 28th June 1992.) (Photo via #chess / X

Douglas Griffin on X: Hoogovens, Wijk aan Zee, 23rd January 1973. The 7th-round encounter between Mikhail Tal (USSR) & Hein Donner (Netherlands) is in progress. The ex-World Champion won this game in

Douglas Griffin on X: Tigran Petrosian, Mikhail Tal and Rafael Vaganian at the 43rd USSR Championship (Yerevan, 1975). (Photo: #chess / X

Douglas Griffin on X: Ex-World Champion Mikhail Tal gives a simultaneous display in Philharmonic Square, Riga. 1980s. (Photo source: archive of the Latvian Sports Museum.) #chess @sovietvisuals / X

Douglas Griffin on X: Wijk aan Zee, 19th January 1968. Viktor Korchnoi faces Mikhail Tal in what proved to be the last of eight(!) successive victories at the start of this 15-round