“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.” IfsPlayStudyExampleParticularKingsChessClassicEndgame 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!” IfsFirstsTwoSawsPiecesPlayerClubsChessBoardsCategoriesMoscowSkittles 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.” IfsTryingGamesCasesStageMajorityChessConclusionStatisticianCuriousity 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.” IfsPlayPlansWorstStrategyChessWanderConsistentlyWorst Things 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.” IfsThinkingFirstsStatesPlayHandsMovingTimeGamesTroubleMinutesTenChessInevitableBlissFortyFifteen 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.” IfsWritingPlayMovingTimeGamesRateCalmChessOpponentsRepeatsExaminationVariationNeatMethodical Author:Alexander Kotov
