My achievements in the field of chess are the result of immense hard work in studying theory.

Drawing general conclusions about your main weaknesses can provide a great stimulus to further growth.

Experience and the constant analysis of the most varied positions builds up a store of knowledge in a player's mind enabling him often at a glance to assess this or that position.

In analysing complicated variations one must examine each branch of the tree once and once only.

I cannot think that a player genuinely loving the game can get pleasure just from the number of points scored no matter how impressive the total. I will not speak of myself, but for the masters of the older generation, from whose games we learned, the aesthetic side was the most important. -

The main thing that develops positional judgement, that perfects it and makes it many-sided, is detailed analytical work, sensible tournament practice, a self-critical attitude to your games and a rooting out of all the defects in your play.

The placing of the centre pawns determines the "topography" of a game of chess.