Soviet grandmaster in tournament always cornered (3)

I believe the answer is:

tal

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'soviet grandmaster in tournament always cornered' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this defines the answer.

'in tournament always cornered' is the wordplay.
'in' indicates the answer is hidden within the clue.
'TAL' is hidden within 'tournament always cornered'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for tal that I've seen before include "Chess champion" , "Farlow, jazz guitarist" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.