Chess quotations are readily available. However, in order to narrow it down, even more, we’ve tried to include only the greatest of the best.
Chess is accessible to a wide range of people in various ways. Perhaps it’s because one of your relatives is seeking a game. Alternatively, one of your friends may play Chess. Many individuals have lately become interested in Chess as a result of a top-rated Netflix series.
An orphan girl who becomes a chess queen is the story of The Queen’s Gambit. During the cold war, the seven-part series included a lot of chess matches and appeared to have reignited people’s interest in the game.
Chess is a strategic game, so some of the ideas from chess experts offer a great perspective on the game, business, and life. We hope you enjoy these quotation selections.
Great Chess Quotes
Some of the greatest chess quotations are about playing the game and specific events in one’s life.
1. “To avoid losing a piece, many people have lost the game.”
Another Tartakower quote in which he urges players to consider the big picture. As evidenced by this famous chess statement, “A lone pawn casts a pall over the chessboard.” Here’s another good one: “You must discover it, but you already know where to go.”
2.” The one who makes the next-to-last mistake is the winner.”
Savielly Tartakower, a Russian Jew who was an International Grandmaster and a chess journalist in the 1920s and 1930s, recognized that mistakes lead to victory in Chess. Some of his famous quotes on this topic are, “There are errors on the table, but they’re hidden.,” and “Chess is a fairy tale of 1,001 blunders.” And, another best good one is, “Chess is a struggle against one’s own errors.”
3. “At first, daring ideas may be defeated, but they may also start a winning game by being moved ahead in Chess.
When Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe penned this, he may have been alluding to the mentality of being aggressive and taking chances. By remaining in one place or retreating seldom, does a winner emerge? To win the game, you must be daring.
4.”In life, as in chess, forethought wins.”
Buxton’s advice: To excel at Chess and in any other major activity, it pays to prepare. “Pawns in life, like in Chess, can be roadblocks. A man’s resources, ease, leisure, children, and reading materials are more frequently instrumental in his checkmate.” I’m not sure if that last quotation provoked heated debates at the dinner table.
5.” Chess players are all artists, but not all artists are chess players.
Players of Chess see the board in a variety of ways, much like an artist does when painting a subject. Although Chess has both a competitive and scientific side, it is also artistry. A well-played chess move, just like a good book or film, may bring back memories. As a result, Marcel Duchamp was correct when he said this quote originated. Marcel Duchamp was born in the United States, a painter, chess player, and author from France.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qUOqngXGAo
6.”In a game of chess, an hour’s account of two minds is adequately illustrated.”
Jose Raul Capablanca, a chess prodigy, was the world champion from 1921 to 1927. He defeated the Cuban champion two days before turning 14. He was born in Havana, Cuba, and became a world chess champion as a teenager. As you may note, Chess is a thinking game emphasizing one’s mind. In a game, one’s mind is definitely on display.
7.”Look for a better move if you see a good one.”
There are more potential chess games than atoms in the observable universe. Wow! Consider how many options a chess player has when everything is considered. As such, a chess player must make numerous decisions. You may believe you have a strong move up your sleeve. However, there may be other moves that are even better.
Emanuel Lasker was a German chess champion who held the title for 27 years. Mr. Keyes’ other favorite games include bridge, Go, and his own creation, “Lasca,” a variant of checkers.
8.”The key to chess victory is to be able to make the next move.
The first move gives the next-move player a significant edge, and as a result, the next-move player is frequently able to go.
Alexander Zukhar was a Soviet chess grandmaster who died in 2006. His Zurich International Chess Tournament 1953: Game by Game is one of the finest chess books ever written.
9.” Play the opening as though it were a book, the middle game like a magician, and the finale like a machine.”
The chess game is typically divided into three phases: the opening, the middle game, and the end game for beginners. When players start attacking each other’s pieces, the opening changes to the middle game. When the majority of the pieces have been removed, the end game begins. This line was written by Rudolf Spielmann. He was a lawyer who had never worked as such. He was a chess player with 33 victories in 120 games that he played throughout his career.
10.” Chess is a battle for the table. The aim is to bring down the opponent’s intellect.”
Bobby Fischer was widely renowned as the greatest chess player of all time (though Magnus Carlsen supporters may disagree). He was born in Chicago in 1943 and died in Iceland in 2008. Once Miguel Najdorf said of Fischer, “Bobby just drops the pieces, and they fall on the correct squares.” Fischer said in one competition, “I enjoy the instant when I break a man’s ego.”
11.”Every chess master was once a beginner.”
Irving Chernev said it best about Chess, but it holds in almost every other area of endeavor. Everyone has been a novice at some point. To improve, you must make mistakes, learn from them, and practice. Chernev was a national master-strength chess player who produced 20 books on the subject.
Some funny short quotes about chess
- “Resigning in a chess game is never the answer.” – Savielly Tartakower.
- “It’s usually preferable to sacrifice your opponent’s forces.” – Savielly Tartakower.
- “One doesn’t have to perform well in order to win; it’s sufficient if one plays better than one’s opponent.” – Siegbert Tarrasch.
- “He has had a solid education thus far. He, on the other hand, starts to think for himself at this time.” – Siegbert Tarrasch.
- “It has been claimed that life is not long enough to play chess, but it’s the fault of life, not the game.” – William Napier.
- “It’s a shame to spend your life playing chess.” – Hans Ree.
- “A chess match in progress is… a universe all its own, totally insulated from the wail of an infant, a sexual come-on, or warfare.” – David Shenk.
- “Many people may be skilled chess players, but in many cases, their brains, in a broad sense, compare poorly to the cognitive abilities of a rabbit.” – James Mortimer.
We hope you enjoyed this collection of excellent chess quotations and that it encouraged you to think differently about the game we all enjoy. There are many, many more. What do you think about that? Are there any other beautiful quotations we haven’t mentioned? Leave a comment and let us know your favorite chess quotes!

Hi Guys, I am Natalie K. Domenico and I am the author of this website. I am a chess expert. If you have any questions related to chess, feel free to contact me.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.