Chess Quotes

Legendary words of chess wisdom. Our collection of valuable quotations about the game of chess.

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” - Mahatma Gandhi

Ben Franklin

“Life is a kind of Chess, with struggle, competition, good and ill events.” - Ben Franklin Ben Franklin

Irving Chernev

“Every chess master was once a beginner.” - Irving Chernev Irving Chernev

Mikhail Botvinnik

“Chess is the art of analysis.” - Mikhail Botvinnik Mikhail Botvinnik

Albert Einstein

“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 Albert Einstein

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Aristotle

“When you’re lonely, when you feel yourself an alien in the world, play Chess. This will raise your spirits and be your counselor in war.” - Aristotle Aristotle

H. G. Wells

“There is no remorse like the remorse of chess.” - H. G. Wells H. G. Wells

Lodewijk Prins

“The only thing chess players have in common is chess.” - Lodewijk Prins Lodewijk Prins

Emanuel Lasker

“When you see a good move, look for a better one.” - Emanuel Lasker Emanuel Lasker

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Bobby Fischer

“All I want to do, ever, is just play Chess.” - Bobby Fischer Bobby Fischer

Savielly Tartakower

“Chess is a fairy tale of 1001 blunders.” - Savielly Tartakower Savielly Tartakower

Mikhail Botvinnik

“Chess is no whit inferior to the violin, and we have a large number of professional violinists.” - Mikhail Botvinnik Mikhail Botvinnik

Walter Tevis

“Chess isn’t always competitive. Chess can also be beautiful.” - Walter Tevis Walter Tevis

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José Raúl Capablanca

“An hour’s history of two minds is well told in a game of chess.” - José Raúl Capablanca José Raúl Capablanca

Charles Buxton

“In life, as in chess, forethought wins.” - Charles Buxton Charles Buxton

David Bronstein

" The essence of Chess is thinking about what Chess is." - David Bronstein David Bronstein

Blaise Pascal

“Chess is the gymnasium of the mind.” - Blaise Pascal Blaise Pascal

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François-André Danican Philidor

“The pawns are the soul of chess.” - François-André Danican Philidor François-André Danican Philidor

Anatoly Karpov

“Chess is everything: art, science and sport.” - Anatoly Karpov Anatoly Karpov

Al-Masudi

“Via the squares on the chessboard, the Indians explain the movement of time and the age, the higher influences which control the world and the ties which link Chess with the human soul.” - Al-Masudi Al-Masudi

Charles Dickens

“Love that has a game of chess in it can checkmate any man and solve the problem of life.” - Charles Dickens Charles Dickens

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Heinrich Fraenke

" For surely of all the drugs in the world, Chess must be the most permanently pleasurable." - Heinrich Fraenke Heinrich Fraenke

David Letterman

“There just isn’t enough televised Chess.” - David Letterman David Letterman

Emanuel Lasker

“Chess is above all, a fight!” - Emanuel Lasker Emanuel Lasker

Richard Teichmann

“Chess is 99 percent tactics.” - Richard Teichmann Richard Teichmann