Mikhail Tal, also known as 'The Magician from Riga', was a Latvian-born Soviet chess grandmaster and the eighth World Chess Champion. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest chess players of all time, and is renowned for his tactical genius and creative attacking play. Tal won the World Chess Championship in 1960, defeating Mikhail Botvinnik, and held the title until 1961. He was also a prolific chess writer and author of several books on the game.