Mikhail Nekhemyevich Tal (9 November 1936 – 28 June 1992) was a Soviet Latvian chess player and the eighth World Chess Champion. He is considered as a creative genius and one of the best players of all time. Tal played in attacking & daring combinatorial style. His play was known above all for improvisation and unpredictability. It has been said that "Every game for him was as inimitable and invaluable as a poem". He was often called "Misha", a diminutive for Mikhail, and he earned the nickname "The Magician from Riga". Both The Mammoth Book of the World's Greatest Chess Games and Modern Chess Brilliancies include more games by Tal than any other player. He also previously held the record for the longest unbeaten streak in competitive chess history with 95 games (46 wins, 49 draws) between