I have never in my life played the French Defence, which is the dullest of all openings

Chess is so inspiring that I do not believe a good player is capable of haviong an evil thought during the game.

Chess is not for the faint-hearted; it absorbs a person entirely. To get to the bottom of this game, he has to give himself up into slavery. Chess is difficult, it demands work, serious reflection and zealous research.

Unfortunately, many regard the critic as an enemy, instead of seeing him as a guide to the truth.

I am fully and entirely concentrated on the board. I never even consider my opponent's personality. So far as I am concerned, my opponent might as well be an abstraction or an automaton.

I have never in my life played the French Defence, which is the dullest of all openings

A win by an unsound combination, however showy, fills me with artistic horror