Profoundly inspirational chess quotes will challenge the way you think, change the way you live and transform your whole life.
Famous Chess Quotes
I have come to the personal conclusion that while all artists are not chess players, all chess players are artists. Marcel Duchamp
It is my style to take my opponent and myself on to unknown grounds. A game of chess is not an examination of knowledge; it is a battle of nerves. David Bronstein
Unlike other games in which lucre is the end and aim, chess recommends itself to the wise by the fact that its mimic battles are fought for no prize but honor. It is eminently and emphatically the philosopher’s game. Paul Morphy
One doesn’t have to play well, it’s enough to play better than your opponent. Siegbert Tarrasch
The beauty of chess is it can be whatever you want it to be. It transcends language, age, race, religion, politics, gender, and socioeconomic background. Whatever your circumstances, anyone can enjoy a good fight to the death over the chess board. Simon Williams
I am convinced, the way one plays chess always reflects the player’s personality. If something defines his character, then it will also define his way of playing. Vladimir Kramnik
Chess is the struggle against the error. Johannes Zukertort
Chess is rarely a game of ideal moves. Almost always, a player faces a series of difficult consequences whichever move he makes. David Shenk
Every chess master was once a beginner. Irving Chernev
Chess doesn’t drive people mad, it keeps mad people sane. Bill Hartston
Avoid the crowd. Do your own thinking independently. Be the chess player, not the chess piece. Ralph Charell
Play the opening like a book, the middlegame like a magician, and the endgame like a machine. Rudolph Spielmann
Chess makes men wiser and clear sighted. Vladimir Putin
After a bad opening, there is hope for the middle game. After a bad middle game, there is hope for the endgame. But once you are in the endgame, the moment of truth has arrived. Edmar Mednis.
Chess is the gymnasium of the mind Blaise Pascal
Give me a difficult positional game; I will play it. But totally won positions, I cannot stand them. Hein Donner
Chess holds its master in its own bonds, shackling the mind and brain so that the inner freedom of the very strongest must suffer. Albert Einstein
In life, unlike chess, the game continues after checkmate. Isaac Asimov
Chess is a war over the board. The object is to crush the opponent’s mind. Bobby Fischer
There is no remorse like the remorse of chess. H. G. Wells
I am convinced, the way one plays chess always reflects the player’s personality. If something defines his character, then it will also define his way of playing. Vladimir Kramnik
Half the variations which are calculated in a tournament game turn out to be completely superfluous. Unfortunately, no one knows in advance which half. Jan Timman
The game of chess is not merely an idle amusement. Several very valuable qualities of the mind, useful in the course of human life, are to be acquired or strengthened by it Life is a kind of Chess, in which we have often points to gain, and competitors or adversaries to contend with. Benjamin Franklin
Tactics is knowing what to do when there is something to do; strategy is knowing what to do when there is nothing to do. Savielly Tartakower
As proved by evidence, chess is more lasting in its being and presence than all books and achievements; the only game that belongs to all people and all ages; of which none knows the divinity that bestowed it on the world, to slay boredom, to sharpen the senses, to exhilarate the spirit. Stefan Zweig
Methodical thinking is of more use in Chess than inspiration. Purdy
Chess doesn’t drive people mad, it keeps mad people sane. Bill Hartston
If your opponent offers you a draw, try to work out why he thinks he’s worse off. Nigel Short
In life, as in chess, one’s own pawns block one’s way. A man’s very wealthy, ease, leisure, children, books, which should help him to win, more often checkmate him. Charles Buxton
The blunders are all there on the board, waiting to be made. Savielly Tartakower
Chess is life in miniature. Chess is a struggle, chess battles. Garry Kasparov
It’s always better to sacrifice your opponent’s men. Savielly Tartakower
Chess, like love, like music, has the power to make men happy. Siegbert Tarrasch
Chess is the struggle against the error. Johannes Zukertort
For in the idea of chess and the development of the chess mind we have a picture of the intellectual struggle of mankind. Richard Réti
In Chess, as it is played by masters, chance is practically eliminated. Emanuel Lasker
I don’t believe in psychology. I believe in good moves. Bobby Fischer
Checkers is for tramps. Paul Morphy
Play the opening like a book, the middlegame like a magician, and the endgame like a machine. Rudolf Spielmann
We must make sure that Chess will not be like a dead language, very interesting, but for a very small group. Sytze Faber
I used to attack because it was the only thing I knew. Now I attack because I know it works best. Garry Kasparov
I have come to the personal conclusion that while all artists are not chess players, all chess players are artists. Marcel Duchamp
It is my style to take my opponent and myself on to unknown grounds. A game of chess is not an examination of knowledge; it is a battle of nerves. David Bronstein
You may learn much more from a game you lose than from a game you win. You will have to lose hundreds of games before becoming a good player. Jose Raul Capablanca
Chess is rarely a game of ideal moves. Almost always, a player faces a series of difficult consequences whichever move he makes. David Shenk
Chess is a terrible game. If you have no center, your opponent has a freer position. If you do have a center, then you really have something to worry about! Siegbert Tarrasch
When you see a good move, look for a better one. Emanuel Lasker
Of all my Russian books, the defense contains and diffuses the greatest’ warmth’ which may seem odd seeing how supremely abstract Chess is supposed to be. Vladimir Nabokov
After a bad opening, there is hope for the middle game. After a bad middle game, there is hope for the endgame. But once you are in the endgame, the moment of truth has arrived. Edmar Mednis
The passed pawn is a criminal, who should be kept under lock and key. Mild measures, such as police surveillance, are not sufficient. Aaron Nimzovich
Give me a difficult positional game, I will play it. But totally won positions, I cannot stand them. Hein Donner
Live, lose, and learn, by observing your opponent how to win. Amber Steenbock
There is no remorse like the remorse of chess. H. G. Wells
Nowadays, when you’re not a grandmaster at 14, you can forget about it. Viswanathan Anand
Half the variations which are calculated in a tournament game turn out to be completely superfluous. Unfortunately, no one knows in advance which half. Jan Timman
Chess is thirty to forty percent psychology. You don’t have this when you play a computer. I can’t confuse it. Judit Polgar
Even a poor plan is better than no plan at all. Mikhail Chigorin
The combination player thinks forward; he starts from the given position, and tries the forceful moves in his mind. Emanuel Lasker
Tactics is knowing what to do when there is something to do; strategy is knowing what to do when there is nothing to do. Savielly Tartakower
Chess books should be used as we use glasses: to assist the sight, although some players make use of them as if they thought they conferred sight. Jose Raul Capablanca
In life, as in chess, forethought wins. Charles Buxton
Alekhine is a poet who creates a work of art out of something that would hardly inspire another man to send home a picture postcard. Max Euwe
You may learn much more from a game you lose than from a game you win. You will have to lose hundreds of games before becoming a good player. José Raúl Capablanca
Life is too short for chess. Byron
Pawns are the soul of the game. François-André Danican Philidor
Could we look into the head of a Chess player, we should see there a whole world of feelings, images, ideas, emotion, and passion. Alfred Binet
The passed pawn is a criminal, who should be kept under lock and key. Mild measures, such as police surveillance, are not sufficient. Aron Nimzowitsch
Modern chess is too much concerned with things like pawn structure. Forget it, checkmate ends the game. Nigel Short
One bad move nullifies forty good ones. Bernhard Horwitz
Pawn endings are to chess what putting is to golf. Cecil Purdy
Those who say they understand chess, understand nothing Robert Hübner
Nobody ever won a chess game by resigning. Savielly Tartakower
Chess is beautiful enough to waste your life for. Hans Ree
The blunders are all there on the board, waiting to be made. Savielly Tartakower
It’s always better to sacrifice your opponent’s men. Savielly Tartakower
Of chess, it has been said that life is not long enough for it, but that is the fault of life, not chess. William Napier
One doesn’t have to play well, it’s enough to play better than your opponent. Siegbert Tarrasch
Up to this point, White has been following well known analysis. But now he makes a fatal error: he begins to use his own head. Siegbert Tarrasch
Of chess, it has been said that life is not long enough for it, but that is the fault of life, not chess. William Napier
Without error there can be no brilliancy. Emanuel Lasker
Chess is beautiful enough to waste your life for. Hans Ree
In life, as in chess, one’s own pawns block one’s way. A man’s very wealthy, ease, leisure, children, books, which should help him to win, more often checkmate him. Charles Buxton
A chess game in progress is a cosmos unto itself, fully insulated from an infant’s cry, an erotic invitation, or war. David Shenk
Nobody ever won a chess game by resigning. Savielly Tartakower
It will be cheering to know that many people are skillful chess players, though in many instances their brains, in a general way, compare unfavorably with the cognitive faculties of a rabbit. James Mortimer
Life is like a game of chess. Allan Rufus
The pin is mightier than the sword. Fred Reinfeld
I know people who have all the will in the world,but still can’t play good Chess. Bobby Fischer
The only thing chess players have in common is chess. Lodewijk Prins
I don’t keep any close friends. I don’t keep any secrets. I don’t need friends. I just tell everybody everything, that’s all. Bobby Fischer
Those who say they understand chess, understand nothing. Robert Hübner
Chess is a war over the board. The object is to crush the opponent’s mind. Bobby Fischer
One bad move nullifies forty good ones. Bernhard Horwitz
All that matters on the Chess board is good moves. Bobby Fischer
