- He held the World Chess Championship from 1960 to 1961.
- Eight-time winner of the Chess Olympiads as part of the USSR team.
- Learned to read at the age of three, already at an early age showed ability for mathematics (at the age of five multiplied three-digit numbers in mind).
- He starred in the popular science film "Seven Steps Beyond the Horizon" (1968), in which he gave a session of a simultaneous blindfold game for 10 games with first-class chess players. Result: 4 wins and 6 draws.
- Super short stay on the chess throne (a record).
- Due to his special manner of holding the board during the game, keeping his eyes on the opponent for a long time, at the peak of Tal's career there were rumors that he was hypnotizing opponents.
- He helped Anatoli Karpov in preparing for the failed match with Bobby Fischer, was in Karpov's team at the match against Viktor Korchnoi in Baguio.
- Won 1st Blitz World Championship (1988).
- Tal played his last official game already being seriously ill - on May 5, 1992 at a tournament in Barcelona. His opponent was Vladimir Akopyan, Tal won this game.
- Editor-in-chief (1960-1970) of the "Chess" magazine ("Sahs"), which was published in Riga by the State Sports Committee of the Latvian SSR and the Republican Chess Federation.
- Winner of 44 international chess tournaments.
- Six-time champion of the USSR (1957, 1958, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1978).
- Since 2006, a chess tournament, the Tal Memorial, has been held in Moscow.
- Tal had three fingers on his right hand from birth, nevertheless he played the piano.
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