“The stomach is an essential part of the Chess master”

Had I not played the Sicilian with Black I could have saved myself the trouble of studying for more than 20 years all the more popular lines of this opening, which comprise probably more than 25 percent of all published opening theory!

A chess player never has a heart attack in a good position.

Most of all I like “bad” lines, that is those considered bad, in my opinion unjustly, by theory. The reason for the last quotation marks is that most so-called theory is only a collection of examples from master practice.

The books say that it is not so serious to lose time in a closed position; I am lucky, since these comments have not harmed me too much.

Chess is a beautiful mistress.

All chess masters have on occasion played a magnificent game and then lost it by a stupid mistake, perhaps in time pressure and it may perhaps seem unjust that all their beautiful ideas get no other recognition than a zero on the tournament table.

In my opinion the Open variation is absolutely correct – and more interesting than the Closed.

A gambit never becomes sheer routine as long as you fear you may lose the king and pawn ending!

One charming characteristic of many flank attacks I could mention is that they do not very often lead to simplification: if the attack is parried, there usually are still opportunities left for initiating action in another sector.

I often play a move I know how to refute.

For me, chess is at the same time a game, a sport, a science and an art. And perhaps even more than that,. There is someting hard to explain to those who do not know the game well. One must first learn to play it correctly in order to savor its richness.

Lack of patience is probably the most common reason for losing a game, or drawing games that should have been won.

A draw may be the beautiful and logical result of fine attacks and parries; and the public ought to appreciate such games, in contrast, of course, to the fear-and-laziness draws.

One charming characteristic of many flank attacks I could mention is that they do not very often lead to simplification: if the attack is parried, there usually are still opportunities left for initiating action in another sector.

I often play a move I know how to refute.

In football, you are mostly reacting from a defensive point of view…but you always want to be counterattacking…a similarity with chess strategy.

Chess and offensive football are quite similar; you sacrifice something now to get something back later.

Ralph… would treat the day’s decisions as though he were playing chess. The only trouble was that he would never be a very good chess player.

If you look at the democratic process as a game of chess, there have to be many, many moves before you get to checkmate. And simply because you do not make any checkmate in three moves does not mean it’s stalemate.

Chess is a cure for headaches.

The higher influences which control the world and the ties which link Chess with the human soul.