Best 681 quotes in «chess quotes» category

A considerable role in the forming of my style was played by an early attraction to study composition.

A defeatist spirit must inevitably lead to disaster.

A draw can be obtained not only by repeating moves, but also by one weak move.

After that, Kasparov stepped back from chess which is, and I want this to be clear, not good for chess in general at all. As a whole, the current situation in the chess world leaves a lot to be desired.

A good player is always lucky.

A knight ending is really a pawn ending.

A knowledge of combinations is the foundation of positional chess.

... a lively imagination can exercise itself most fully and creatively in conjuring up magnificent combinations.

All experiments that are related to the games when you have humans versus machines in the games - whether it's chess or "Go" or any other game - machines will prevail not because they can solve the game. Chess is mathematically unsolvable. But at the end of the day, the machine doesn't have to solve the game. The machine has to win the game. And to win the game, it just has to make fewer mistakes than humans. Which is not that difficult since humans are humans and vulnerable, and we don't have the same steady hand as the computer.

All Chess players should have a hobby

All chess masters can play one game blindfolded.

Analysis, if it is really carried out with a complete concentration of his powers, forms and completes a chess player.

All I want to do, ever, is play chess.

Along with my retirement from chess analytical work seems to have gone too.

Amberley excelled at chess - a mark, Watson, of a scheming mind.

Americans really don't know much about chess. But I think when I beat Spassky, that Americans will take a greater interest in chess. Americans like winners.

An amusing fact: as far as I can recall, when playing the Ruy Lopez I have not yet once in my life had to face the Marshall Attack!

A pawn, when separated from his fellows, will seldom or never make a fortune.

And the rigidity of the material with which we have to compose, is a more formidable opponent than Lasker or Capablanca. Because these lifeless opponents do not have any moments of human weakness!

A plan is made for a few moves only, not for the whole game.

An innovation need not be especially ingenious, but it must be well worked out.

An isolated pawn spreads gloom all over the chessboard.

A sensation, hidden in the depths of my emotional memory, was suddenly revived: what if... What if for me The Variation is not dead? If The Variation is alive?!

As a rule, pawn endings have a forced character, and they can be worked out conclusively.

As a rule, so-called "positional" sacrifices are considered more difficult, and therefore more praise-worthy, than those which are based exclusively on an exact calculation of tactical possibilities.

As with Steinitz, Fischer's genius has often been concealed by controversies away from the board. Like Lasker, Fischer has raised chess to new financial heights despite frequent retreats from serious play. And, like Capablanca, Fischer is recognized by millions of non-players and has won the game many new enthusiasts.

As one by one I mowed them down, my superiority soon became apparent

At the ches with me she (Fortune) gan to pleye; With her false draughts (pieces) dyvers/She staal on me, and took away my fers. And when I sawgh my fers awaye, Allas! I kouthe no lenger playe.

A thorough understanding of the typical mating continuations makes the most complicated sacrificial combinations leading up to them not only not difficult, but almost a matter of course

At that time two opposing concepts of the Game called forth commentary and discussion. The foremost players distinguished two principal types of Game, the formal and the psychological.

Avoidance of mistakes is the beginning, as it is the end, of mastery in chess.

Believe firmly that in chess there are no rules without exceptions.

Barcza is the most versatile player in the opening. He sometimes plays P-KKt3 on the first, sometimes on the second, sometimes on the third, and sometimes only on the fourth move.

Be a harsh critic of your own wins.

Before Geller we did not understand the King's Indian Defence.

Bobby is the most misunderstood, misquoted celebrity walking the face of this earth

Black is now in desperate need of a good idea. Or, to put it standard chess notation, +-

Bobby Fischer is the greatest Chess genius of all time!

Between rounds of speed chess I read enough of a programming manual to teach myself to write programs on the school's DEC mainframe in the language Basic.

Bobby Fischer has an enormous knowledge of chess and his familiarity with the chess literature of the USSR is immense.

But alas! Like many another consummation devoutly to be wished, the actual performance was a disappointing one.

Botvinnik's right! When he says such things, then he's right. Usually, I prefer not to study chess but to play it. For me chess is more an art than a science. It's been said that Alekhine and I played similar chess, except that he studied more. Yes, perhaps, but I have to say that he played, too.

Botvinnik was a killer in chess.

But how difficult it can be to gain the desired full point against an opponent of inferior strength, when this is demanded by the tournament position!

By this measure (on the gap between Fischer & his contemporaries), I consider him the greatest world champion

Caissa, the goddess of chess, had punished me for my conservative play, for betraying my nature.

Campo, as everyone in chess recognized, had a 2600 rating as a politician.

Chess is a beautiful mistress.

Capablanca plays very superficially sometimes, in a way that can only be ascribed to lack of concentration. This is an integral weakness of his make-up and can only be partially compensated by his employing his time allowance to the full.

Chess is a cold bath for the mind