Chess Will Always Be The Master Of

I Have Had To Work Long And Hard To Eradicate The Dangerous Delusion That, In A Bad Position, I Could Always, Or Nearly Always, Conjure Up Some Unexpected Combination To Extricate Me From My Difficulties.

Chess For Me Is Not A Game, But An Art. Yes, And I Take Upon Myself All Those Responsibilities Which An Art Imposes On Its Adherents.

In My Opinion, A Master Is Morally Obliged To Seize Every Sort Of Opportunity And To Try To Solve The Problems Of The Position Without Fear Of Some Simplifications.

For Success I Consider Three Factors Are Necessary: Firstly, An Awareness Of My Own Strengths And Weaknesses; Secondly, An Accurate Understanding Of My Opponent's Strengths And Weaknesses; Thirdly, A Higher Aim Than Momentary Satisfaction. I See This Aim As Being Scientific And Artistic Achievements, Which Place The Game Of Chess On A Par With Other Arts.

That Which Steinitz Gave To The Theoretical Aspect Of The Game When He Was At His Best Is Very Remote To All Out Home-bred Chess Philosophers, But With His Views On Morphy, Whom He Tries To Discredit Completely, It Is Of Course Impossible To Agree.