Savielly Tartakower Quotes & Sayings

Drawn games are sometimes more scintillating than any conclusive contest. — Savielly Tartakower

I never defeated a healthy opponent. — Savielly Tartakower

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

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

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

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

Chess is a fairy tale of 1001 blunders. — Savielly Tartakower

The blunders are all there on the board, waiting to be made. — Savielly Tartakower

The mistakes are there, waiting to be made — Savielly Tartakower

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? — Savielly Tartakower

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

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

The move is there, but you must see it. — Savielly Tartakower

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

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. — Savielly Tartakower

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

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

It's always better to sacrifice your opponent's men — Savielly Tartakower

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

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

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. — Savielly Tartakower

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

The first essential for an attack is the will to attack. — Savielly Tartakower

All Chess players should have a hobby — Savielly Tartakower

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. — Savielly Tartakower

An isolated pawn spreads gloom all over the chessboard. — Savielly Tartakower

Any opening is good enough, if its reputation is bad enough. — Savielly Tartakower

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

No one ever won a game by resigning. — Savielly Tartakower

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! — Savielly Tartakower

Some part of a mistake is always correct. — Savielly Tartakower

A game is always won through a mistake. — Savielly Tartakower