Chess Quotations

My effort here is to compile some interesting chess quotations from famous people and sometimes to give a little background as to who the person was. Also I may comment on the validity or lack of validity of the quotation.

Tactics

"Chess is 99 percent tactics." - Teichmann

Although there is some truth to this, I feel that the percentage is exaggerated. I feel that positional play, including judgement, is a major factor in chess. Once you get a good position, then the tactics are likely to be in your favor.

Proverb

"Chess is a sea in which a gnat may drink and an elephant may bathe." - Indian proverb

Purdy

"Chess is as much a mystery as women." - Purdy

Tarrasch

"Chess, like love, like music, has the power to make men happy." - Tarrasch

Fischer

"Morphy was probably the greatest genius of them all." - Fischer

This may be true. However, Morphy was American and Fischer, at this time, was fiercely patriotic as an American.

Edwards

"Rooks belong on open files!" Edwards

"Knights belong in the center." Edwards

These are very good bits of advice for the novice. Advanced players already know these things.

Conclusions

The quotes from Edwards are the only ones that will improve your play. The quotes from more famous masters and grandmasters are amusing. The only way Fischer's quote can improve your play is if you chose to study Morphy's games, his style, and his openings. His style was to develop rapidly and then attack. Fischer had a similar style, but his openings were different.