Savielly Tartakower Quotes

Tactics is knowing what to do when there is something to do. Strategy is knowing what to do when there is nothing to do.

I talk to myself because I like dealing with a better class of people.

No one ever won a game by resigning.

The winner is the one who makes the next-to-last mistake.

Seize the outpost K5 with your knight, and you can go to sleep. Checkmate will come by itself.

The ability to create and to control the tension of battle is perhaps the principal attainment of the great player.

To avoid losing a piece, many a person has lost the game

A Chess game is divided into three stages: the first, when you hope you have the advantage, the second when you believe you have an advantage, and the third... when you know you're going to lose!

The tactician must know what to do whenever something needs doing; the strategist must know what to do when nothing needs doing

The mistakes are there, waiting to be made

As for me, I am unfortunate enough not to posses a happy temperament like Najdorf, who views every happening in a rosy light and avoids any possibility of self-criticism. I am one of those unlucky skeptics who never overlook the dark side of even the happiest experience.

A Queen's sacrifice, even when fairly obvious, always rejoices the heart of the chess-lover.

In chess, there is only one mistake: over-estimation of your opponent. All else is either bad luck or weakness.

It is said that an ounce of common sense can outweigh a ton of 'variations'.

Some part of a mistake is always correct

Like the alchemist of old, for ever searching for the philosopher's stone, the analyst to-day never stops looking for stronger moves to prevent the defender from establishing equality.

Chess is a fairy tale of 1001 blunders.

Any opening is good enough, if its reputation is bad enough.

A draw can be obtained not only by repeating moves, but also by one weak move.

Whenever Black succeeds in assuming the initiative in maintaining it to a successful conclusion, the sporting spirit of the chess lover feels gratified, because it shows that the resources of the game are far from being exhausted.

Shall we ever live to see the following wise prohibition - the audience is forbidden to smoke and the masters are forbidden to 'smoke out' the audience by playing exchanging variations?

I never defeated a healthy opponent.

It's always better to sacrifice your opponent's men

An isolated pawn spreads gloom all over the chessboard.

Drawn games are sometimes more scintillating than any conclusive contest.

All Chess players should have a hobby

Psychologically, the choice of an appropriate opening is of the utmost importance for a player's success in a tournament.

A game is always won through a mistake.

Lasker thought that his rationalism rendered him immune from the surprises of chess theory.

The first essential for an attack is the will to attack.

It is well-known that chess and music go well together, and many are those who have achieved unusual proficiency in both.