"Late in his career, Tal did win another, albeit unofficial world championship: the 1988 World Blitz Championship in St. John, Canada. The 32-player field included Garry Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov and numerous other greats. Pleasantly fortified with a few drinks, Tal played nervelessly at age 51. "I did not take the tournament too seriously," he later said. "I walked around the pressroom, smoked a few cigarettes and sacrificed some pieces." Then he added, "I am waiting until next year when I can become a new ex-world champion.""