Race to the King
Tal – Koblencs, Riga (Latvia) 1957 · 1–0 · 3 songs · 6:55
- 0:00 Overture
- 0:28 ♫ The G-Pawn Battering Ram
- 1:55 Interlude
- 2:08 ♫ The Door on e7
- 4:02 Interlude
- 4:23 ♫ A Whole Rook on Offer
- 6:26 Finale
Overture
Riga, December nineteen fifty-seven. Mihail Tal has White against Aleksandrs Koblencs in the second game of a training match. The kings castle on opposite sides, and from now on it is a race: who attacks faster?
The G-Pawn Battering Ram
sung from White's side
Verse 1
His king is home on g8
Bishop to e3, I won't wait 12.Be3 Qc7
Pawn to h4, drums begin 13.h4 b5
Pawn to g5, closing in 14.g5 Nd7
Chorus
It's a race to the king
Pawn to g6, ram it in 15.g6
My pawn is a battering ram
A file for my rooks, that's the plan
Verse 2
His h-pawn takes on g6, wrong pawn 15...hxg6
F-pawn was safer, his shield is gone
Pawn to h5, straight at his king 16.h5 gxh5
Rook takes on h5, the h-file's clean 17.Rxh5
A highway for my rook and queen
Roll back the ram, once more we sing
Chorus
It's a race to the king
Pawn to g6, ram it in 15.g6
My pawn is a battering ram
A file for my rooks, that's the plan
Interlude
With the file open, the rook steps back and waits. Black strikes in the centre and picks up a second pawn, White's queen slides across to the open file, and the black king edges away to f8.
The Door on e7
sung from an observer's seat
Verse 1
Tal and Koblencs, a hush in Riga
The h-file lies open, bare
Queen to h8, check, it frightens 22.Qh8+
But the attack is not yet there
Black has one good answer waiting
He blocks instead: knight to g8 22...Ng8
Chorus
It's a race to the king
White's queen on h8 looks frightening
Black's king had one answer: walk
e7 open, run, don't block
Verse 2
Rook to h7 joins the queen 23.Rh7
Black's g7 pawn, last guard between
Black plays pawn to f5, and then 23...f5
Bishop to h6, a third on g7 24.Bh6
It can't be taken: White's rook on h7
Is waiting for the queen on c7
Chorus
It's a race to the king
White's queen on h8 looks frightening
Black's king had one answer: walk
e7 open, run, don't block
Interlude
Black's rooks hurry to guard the king, and pieces fall on both sides of the board. Tal ignores the bishop that took his knight on c3 and doubles his rooks on the open file.
A Whole Rook on Offer
sung from White's side
Verse 1
Open h-file, my queen on h8
Rook to h6, a whole rook as bait 33.R1h6
It wants f6, a check to make
He pushes to d3, the last mistake 33...d3
I take on c3, pawn to d2 checks 34.bxc3 d2+
King to d1, queen takes on c6 35.Kd1 Qxc6
Chorus
It's a race to the king
Rook to f6, the check I bring 36.Rf6+
His rook to f7, pinned in line 36...Rf7
Queen takes on g7, the game is mine 37.Qxg7+
It's a race to the king
Verse 2
Back to the start, an equal fight
Rook to h6, one reply is right 33.R1h6
My knight on c6 was his to take
Pawn to d3, the defender breaks 33...d3
Pawn takes c3, king to d1 34.bxc3 d2+ 35.Kd1 Qxc6
Material down, his king undone
Chorus
It's a race to the king
Rook to f6, the check I bring 36.Rf6+
His rook to f7, pinned in line 36...Rf7
Queen takes on g7, the game is mine 37.Qxg7+
It's a race to the king
Finale
Black resigned. The rook on f7 is pinned and cannot take the queen. Mihail Tal beats Aleksandrs Koblencs a knight down in the final position: active pieces near the king counted for more than material.
Songs and film made with AI.