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Alexander Kotov

Alexander Kotov Books

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Alexander Kotov (August 12, 1913 - January 8, 1981) was a Russian author whose works spanned various literary genres, including novels, poetry, and drama.

The Art of the Middle Game

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“I can remember a case where Capablanca worked out an impressive combination, but then chose to make a simple move in answer to which his opponent resigned at once!”

I Can Remember Moving Simple Answers Cases Chess Combination Opponents Impressive Resigned Capablanca

Author:Alexander Kotov

“You will already have noticed how often Capablanca repeated moves, often returning to positions which he had had before. This is not lack of deciciveness or slowness, but the employment of a basic endgame principle which is 'Do not hurry'.”

Moving Principles Position Chess Employment Endgame Slowness Capablanca

Author:Alexander Kotov

“It has always been recognized that chess is an art, and its best practitioners have been described as artists.”

Has Beens Art Artist Chess

Author:Alexander Kotov

“Bobby Fischer is the greatest Chess genius of all time!”

Genius Chess All Time Fischer

Author:Alexander Kotov

“The rise of the Soviet school to the summit of world chess is a logical result of socialist cultural development.”

World School Results Development Chess Logical Soviet Socialist Summit

Author:Alexander Kotov

“When you have finished analyzing all the variations and gone along all the branches of the tree of analysis you must first of all write the move down on your score sheet, before you play it.”

Writing Firsts Play Moving Gone Tree Finished Analysis Branches Score Sheets Variation Analyzing

Author:Alexander Kotov

“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. -”

Thinking Important Matter Games Speak Sides Pleasure Numbers Beauty Player Generations Masters Chess Aesthetic Impressive Older Generation

Author:Alexander Kotov

“All candidate moves should be identified at once and listed in one's head. This job cannot be done piecemeal, by first examining one move and then look at another.”

Should Firsts Looks Done Jobs Moving Candidates Examining One Piece

Author:Alexander Kotov

“You must not let your opponent know how you feel.”

Knows Feels Know How Psychology Opponents How You Feel

Author:Alexander Kotov

“The study of typical plans is something that the leading grandmasters devote a great deal of time to. I would say that the most far-seeing of them devote as much time to this as to the study of openings.”

Deals Study Plans Seeing Training Chess Opening Typical

Author:Alexander Kotov

“Just as the pianist practices the most complicated pieces to improve the technique of his fingers, so too a grandmaster must keep his vision in trim by daily analysis of positions with sharp possibilities, and this applies whether he prefers such positions in his play or not.”

Play Vision Practice Pieces Possibility Position Training Fingers Complicated Technique Chess Analysis Pianist

Author:Alexander Kotov

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

Tree Complicated Chess Analysis Branches Variation Analysing

Author:Alexander Kotov

“After a great deal of discussion in Soviet literature about the correct definition of a combination, it was decided that from the point of view of a methodical approach it was best to settle on this definition - A combination is a forced variation with a sacrifice.”

Literature Views Deals Sacrifice Approach Decided Definitions Point Of View Chess Combination Settling Discussion Soviet Variation Methodical

Author:Alexander Kotov

“Once there is the slightest suggestion of combinational possibilities on the board, look for unusual moves. Apart from making your play creative and interesting it will help you to get better results.”

Looks Play Helping Moving Interesting Results Creative Possibility Chess Combination Get Better Boards Unusual Suggestions

Author:Alexander Kotov

“If you study the classic examples of endgame play you will see how the king was brought up as soon as possible even though there seemed no particular hurry at the time.”

Ifs Play Study Example Particular Kings Chess Classic Endgame

Author:Alexander Kotov

“In order to become a grandmaster class player whose understanding of chess is superior to the thousands of ordinary players, you have to develop within yourself a large number of qualities, the qualities of an artistic creator, a calculating practitioner, a cold calm competitor.”

Order Understanding Numbers Quality Class Player Cold Ordinary Calm Creator Chess Superiors Artistic Competitors Large Numbers Calculating

Author:Alexander Kotov

“Here is a definition which correctly reflects the course of thought and action of a grandmaster: - The plan in a game of chess is the sum total of successive strategical operations which are each carried out according to separate ideas arising from the demands of the position.”

Ideas Action Courses Games Plans Position Demand Definitions Chess Operations Thoughts And Actions

Author:Alexander Kotov

“Once in a Moscow chess club I saw how two first-category players knocked pieces off the board as they were exchanged, so that the pieces fell onto the floor. It was as if they were playing skittles and not chess!”

Ifs Firsts Two Saws Pieces Player Clubs Chess Boards Categories Moscow Skittles

Author:Alexander Kotov

“Anyone who wishes to learn how to play chess well must make himself or herself thoroughly conversant with the play in positions where the players have castled on opposite sides.”

Wells Play Wish Sides Learning Player Position Opposites Chess

Book:The Art of the Middle Game

Source: The Art of the Middle Game

“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.”

Self Play Games Attitude Practice Learning Critical Chess Judgement Sensible Defects Tournaments

Author:Alexander Kotov

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

Hard Results Learning Study Fields Hard Work Theory Achievement Chess Immense

Author:Alexander Kotov

“I soon realized that it is not enough for a master simply to analyse variations scrupulously just like an accountant. He must learn to work out which particular moves he should consider and then examine just as many variations as necessary - no more and no less.”

Should Enough Moving Learning Particular Masters Work Out Chess Variation Accountants

Author:Alexander Kotov

“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.”

Mind Learning Player Position Constant Stores Chess Analysis Glances Enabling

Author:Alexander Kotov

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

Growth Learning Weakness Drawing Chess Conclusion Stimulus Drawing Conclusions

Author:Alexander Kotov

“If a chess statistician were to try and satisfy his curiousity over which stage of the game proved decisive in the majority of cases, he would certainly come to the conclusion that it is the middlegame that provides the most decisive stage.”

Ifs Trying Games Cases Stage Majority Chess Conclusion Statistician Curiousity

Author:Alexander Kotov

“There is no doubt that the reason for my awful oversight was over-confidence that sapped my sense of danger. So that is where to look for the cause of bad blunders - in the exulting feeling of self-congratulation.”

Looks Self Reason Feelings Causes Mistake Doubt Danger Chess Awful No Doubt Congratulations Blunders Oversight Over Confidence

Author:Alexander Kotov

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

Games Determine Chess Pawns Topography

Author:Alexander Kotov

“Once upon a time supporters of the Steinitz-Tarrasch school had a very high opinion of a queen-side pawn majority. Modern strategy on the other hand categorically denies that such a majority is an independent factor of any importance.”

Hands School Sides Opinion Modern Importance Independent Majority Strategy Deny Chess Factors Queens Supporter Once Upon A Time Pawns

Author:Alexander Kotov

“In choosing an opening plan players think most of all of harmonious development for the pieces, but sometimes leave the development of the queen out of their considerations. Yet the Queen is the most valuable and important piece and the whole outcome can depend upon how successfully she plays her role.”

Thinking Important Sometimes Play Whole Roles Pieces Player Plans Depends Development Valuable Chess Opening Queens Outcomes Consideration Harmonious

Author:Alexander Kotov

“It is better to follow out a plan consistently even if it isn't the best one than to play without a plan at all. The worst thing is to wander about aimlessly.”

Ifs Play Plans Worst Strategy Chess Wander Consistently Worst Things

Author:Alexander Kotov

“Once we have chosen the right formation in the centre we have created opportunities for our pieces and laid the foundation of subsequent victory.”

Opportunity Pieces Victory Foundation Strategy Chess Chosen Centre Formation

Author:Alexander Kotov

“Sit there for five hours? Certainly not! A player must walk about between moves, it helps his thinking.”

Thinking Helping Moving Success Hours Walks Five Player Chess

Author:Alexander Kotov

“The proponents of Steinitz' theory - Tarrasch and his supporters - tried to express Steinitz' teaching in the form of laconic rules, and as often happens in such cases, they went too far. The laconic tended to become dogmatic, and chess began to lose its freshness, originality and charm.”

Happens Form Loses Cases Teaching Theory Chess Charm Originality Supporter Freshness Dogmatic Laconic

Author:Alexander Kotov

“Go through detailed variations in your own time, think in a general way about the position in the opponent's time and you will soon find that you get into time trouble less often, that your games have more content to them, and that their general standard rises.”

Thinking Way Time Games Trouble Position Standards Chess Opponents Variation

Author:Alexander Kotov

“The masters and grandmasters can be divided into three groups - the inveterate time trouble merchants, those who sometimes get into trouble, and those for whom the phenomenon is a very rare occurence.”

Sometimes Time Three Trouble Groups Masters Chess Phenomenon Divided Merchants

Author:Alexander Kotov

“If you can play the first ten or fifteen moves in just as many minutes, you can be in a state of bliss for the rest of the game. If, on the other hand, Bronstein thinks for forty minutes about his first move, then time trouble is inevitable.”

Ifs Thinking Firsts States Play Hands Moving Time Games Trouble Minutes Ten Chess Inevitable Bliss Forty Fifteen

Author:Alexander Kotov

“Time trouble is blunder time.”

Time Trouble Chess Blunders

Author:Alexander Kotov

“If your opponent is short (on time), play just as you played earlier in the game. If you are short keep calm, I repeat, don't get flustered. Keep up the same neat writing of the moves, the same methodical examination of variations, but at a quicker rate.”

Ifs Writing Play Moving Time Games Rate Calm Chess Opponents Repeats Examination Variation Neat Methodical

Author:Alexander Kotov

About the Author

Born: August 12, 1913
Died: January 8, 1981
Known for: Author
Quotes: 38

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