A Passing of the Baton?

Most chess players of my generation and the next grew up with the brilliant, scintillating games of the late World Champion Mikhail Tal known as “The Magician of Riga”. His tactical wizardry made a lasting impression on all of us as we aspire to the combinational brilliance he exhibited in his games. Those who enjoy games rich in tactics and combinations will no doubt be aware of GM Alexei Shirov, a finalist in several world championship cycles. He too hails from Riga, and his games feature aggressive play and amazing tactics. This recent FIDE Olympiad game superbly covered by GM Simon Williams earned a well deserved brilliancy prize and shows that GM Shirov is indeed ready to carry the baton as “The Magician of Riga”.