We specialize in hard to find items
All Categories
Checkmate! The Love Story of Mikhail Tal and Sally Landau
Share Tweet
*Price and Stocks may change without prior notice
*Packaging of actual item may differ from photo shown
- Electrical items MAY be 110 volts.
- 7 Day Return Policy
- All products are genuine and original
About Checkmate! The Love Story Of Mikhail Tal And Sally
Product Description *****Short-listed for the English Chess Federation Book of the Year prize 2019***** Sally Landau, born in 1938, Vitebsk, Soviet Union, was Mikhail Tal’s first wife, a highly talented actress and singer. Sally and Misha were married from 1959 to 1970 in a period that encompassed Tal’s two world championship matches with Botvinnik as well as many of his greatest tournament performances. Sally’s breathtaking story, first published in Russia in 1998 and which has been reprinted multiple times, is a memoir of her time with Tal, with whom she remained friends long after they divorced right up until his death in 1992. Full of detail about Tal and their life together, it is a tale of triumph and tragedy, love, parenthood, sorrow, jealousy, betrayal and revenge. Colored by a historical and social background including the Second World War, the Soviet chess scene, Rigan high society, the shadow economy in the Soviet Union, and Jewish emigration, it contains a fascinating portrait of Misha’s mysterious family and is illustrated with photos from Sally’s private archive. And it all just happens to be true… Review "I was hooked!...All-in-all, a wonderful addition to the Tal literature: 5 stars!" Matthew Sadler, New In Chess Magazine, 2019/4 "...this memoir, first published in Russian in 1998, is certainly a gripping read, perhaps best summed up as a tale of triumph and tragedy," CHESS Magazine, June 2019 "What a beautiful book!...Sally Landau, what a talented person and what a strong personality," Grandmaster Zenon Franco Ocampos, Facebook website, 14 April 2019 "Enjoyed reading "Checkmate!", by Sally Landau (Elk & Ruby), about her loving and yet often tormented marriage to Mikhail Tal. It is one of the greatest privileges of my chess career to have played the maestro. He was a most charming and quick-witted genius," Grandmaster, former Vice-World Champion and current FIDE Vice-President Nigel Short, Twitter, 20 April 2019 "Sally Landau's book does not really change the picture we have of Tal, but it enriches it greatly. I found it very moving." Grandmaster Hans Ree, Dutch Treat blog, 1 May 2019 "Sally's compelling account", Dominic Lawson, President of the English Chess Federation, The Daily Mail, 10 May 2019 "You won't put this book down," Woman Grandmaster Erika Sziva, Schakers Info website, 8 May 2019 "A gem," B.H. Wilders, Nederlands Dagblad, 11 May 2019 "An emotional rollercoaster," FIDE Master Dennis Monokroussos, The Chess Mind blog, July 2019 "I can highly recommend reading this book", Carsten Hansen, American Chess Magazine, July 2019 About the Author Sally Landau, born in 1938, Vitebsk, Soviet Union, was Mikhail Tal's first wife, a highly talented actress and singer. Sally and Misha were married from 1959 to 1970 in a period that encompassed Tal's two world championship matches with Botvinnik as well as many of his greatest tournament performances. Sally has lived in Antwerp, Belgium, since 1981.
