White increases his space advantage, which results from his central passed pawn, and intends to drive the black pieces further back.
19…♘d7 20.♗c4 ♕h4 21.♖fb1 ♗f6 22.♕c2 ♗g5 23.♗f2 ♕f4 24.♖b2 h5 25.♖ab1 ♖fc8 26.b5
26…axb5 27.♗xb5 ♕f6 28.♗xc6 bxc6 29.♘a4 ♕d8 30.♖b7 ♖cb8 31.g3 ♔g7 32.♔g2 ♕a5 33.♖xd7 ♖xb1 34.♕xb1 ♕xa4 35.h4 ♗d2 36.♕b2 ♕d1 37.♕xe5+ ♔g8 38.♕f6 ♖f8 39.♖d8 ♖xd8 40.♕xd8+ ♔h7 41.♕f6 ♔g8 42.♕d4 1-0
21.♖f3 b3 22.axb3 cxb3 23.c3 a3 24.bxa3 b2 25.♘xg7 ♔xg7 26.♗xf6+ exf6 27.♕xb2
Now, the second knight sacrifice on f5 – not a silent sac, but a forcing one – would have been the logical follow up: 27.♘f5+ ♔g8 28.♕e3 g5 29.♕d4, though Tal had little trouble winning this blitz game after the text move:
27…♕e7 28.♖e3 ♕e5 29.♘f3 ♕f4 30.♖e2 ♘d7 31.♖f1 ♘e5 32.♕c2 ♖c4 33.♘d2 ♕g5 34.♘xc4 ♘xc4 35.♕d3 ♘e5 36.♕e3 ♕h5 37.♖ee1 ♖h8 38.h3 1-0