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Quotation
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Speaker
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1 |
A plan is made for a few moves only, not for the whole game.
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Reuben Fine
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2 |
A sacrifice is best refuted by accepting it.
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Wilhelm Steinitz
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3 |
A solid opening repertoire fosters self-confidence.
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Lajos Portisch
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4 |
All openings are sound below master level.
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William Lombardy
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5 |
All rook endgames are drawn.
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Saviely Tartakower
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6 |
Always check; it may be mate.
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Al Horowitz
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7 |
An advantage could consist not only in a single important advantage but also in a multitude of insignificant advantages.
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Emanuel Lasker
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8 |
Before the endgame, the gods have placed the middlegame.
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Siegbert Tarrasch
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9 |
Blunders rarely travel alone.
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Anatoly Karpov
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10 |
Chess is 99 percent tactics.
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Richard Teichmann
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11 |
Chess is ruthless: you've got to be prepared to kill people.
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Nigel Short
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12 |
Chess is the art of analysis.
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Mikhail Botvinnik
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13 |
Forced, therefore correct.
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Saviely Tartakower
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14 |
He who fears an isolated queen's pawn should give up chess.
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Siegbert Tarrasch
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15 |
I can see the combinations as well as Alekhine, but I cannot get into the same positions.
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Rudolf Spielmann
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16 |
I go to bed at 4 a. m. Almost all chessplayers do.
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Vladimir Kramnik
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17 |
I have never in my life played the French Defence, which is the dullest of all openings.
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Wilhelm Steinitz
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18 |
I have not given any drawn or lost games, because I thought them inadequate to the purpose of the book.
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Jose R. Capablanca
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19 |
I keep on fighting as long as my opponent can make a mistake.
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Emanuel Lasker
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20 |
I try to play, always, beautiful games…always I wanted to create masterpieces.
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Garry Kasparov
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21 |
I warne yow wel, it is no childes pley.
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Geoffrey Chaucer
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22 |
I would prefer chess to become part of the Olympic Games. This would also lead to chess become more accepted as a sport in general.
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Viswanathan Anand
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23 |
If chess is an art, Alekhine. If chess is a science, Capablanca. If chess is a struggle, Lasker. (On who was the greatest chess player)
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Saviely Tartakower
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24 |
If you don't want to be stabbed in the back you should be aware of who is standing behind you. (Said about Ray Keene)
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Tony Miles
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25 |
If your opponent offers you a draw, try to work out why he thinks he's worse off.
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Nigel Short
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26 |
In chess, the threat is stronger than the execution.
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Aaron Nimzowitsch
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27 |
In open positions the safety of the King should be the first consideration.
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Richard Reti
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28 |
It is always better to sacrifice your opponent's men.
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Saviely Tartakower
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29 |
It is bad form for spectators to remove the pieces from the board without the consent of the players.
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Henry Bird
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30 |
It is not enough to be a good player; you must also play well.
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Siegbert Tarrasch
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31 |
My style is somewhere between that of Tal and Petrosian.
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Samuel Reshevsky
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32 |
Never resign. There's always a chance your opponent may drop dead before he mates you.
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Al Horowitz
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33 |
Nobody ever won a chess game by resigning.
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Saviely Tartakower
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34 |
Patzer sees check, patzer makes check.
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Bobby Fischer
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35 |
So many moves, so little time!
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Vladimir Kramnik
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36 |
Tactics flow from a superior position.
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Bobby Fischer
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37 |
Tactics is what you do when there is something to do; strategy is what you do when there is nothing to do.
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Saviely Tartakower
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38 |
The boy doesn't have a clue about chess, and there's no future at all for him in this profession. (Referring to a 12-year-old boy named Anatoly Karpov)
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Mikhail Botvinnik
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39 |
The first principle of attack – don't let the opponent develop!
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Reuben Fine
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40 |
The game of the Gods. Infinite possibilities.
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Vladimir Nabokov
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41 |
The initial position is decisive Zugzwang.
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Jon Speelman
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42 |
The isolated pawn casts gloom over the entire chessboard.
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Aaron Nimzowitsch
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43 |
The mistakes are there, waiting to be made.
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Saviely Tartakower
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44 |
The sign of a great master is his ability to win a won game quickly and painlessly.
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Irving Chernev
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45 |
There are two kinds of sacrifices; correct ones and mine.
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Mikhail Tal
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46 |
Weak points or holes in the enemy position must be occupied by pieces, not pawns.
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Siegbert Tarrasch
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47 |
When you see a good move, sit on your hands and see if you can find a better one.
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Siegbert Tarrasch
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48 |
Yes, I have played a blitz game once. It was on a train, in 1929.
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Mikhail Botvinnik
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49 |
You are never too old to play chess!
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Bobby Fischer
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50 |
You may have the bishop pair but I have the ultimate advantage; I am the better player!
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Michael Adams
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