Home / Authors / Jose Raul Capablanca

Jose Raul Capablanca Quotes

Chess Player

Jose Raul Capablanca, known as the 'Chess King', was one of the greatest chess players of the early 20th century. Born on November 19, 1888, and passing away on March 8, 1942, Capablanca was renowned for his exceptional skill and elegant playing style. He represented Cuba in numerous international chess competitions and achieved remarkable success, becoming the World Chess Champion in 1921 and holding the title for 15 years. His games were characterized by intelligence and creativity, leaving a profound impact on the development of chess. As a great player, Capablanca was also an elegant artist, whose style and strategies are still admired by chess enthusiasts today.

Filter quotes by topic

All Chess Games Player Endgame Masters Should Opening Firsts Losing Pawns Play Winning Art Book Chess Game Chess Players Ifs Increase Majority Order

Famous Jose Raul Capablanca Quotes

“Chess is more than a game or a mental training. It is a distinct attainment. I have always regarded the playing of chess and the accomplishment of a good game as an art, and something to be admired no less than an artist's canvas or the product of a sculptor's chisel. Chess is a mental diversion rather than a game. It is both artistic and scientific.”

Art Artist Games Products Training Chess Artistic Accomplishment Canvas Attainment Sculptors Diversion Chisels

Author:Jose Raul Capablanca

“In chess, as played by a good player, logic and imagination must go hand in hand, compensating each other.”

Hands Imagination Player Logic Chess Hand In Hand

Author:Jose Raul Capablanca

“Chess is a very logical game and it is the man who can reason most logically and profoundly in it that ought to win.”

Men Reason Games Winning He Man Ought Chess Logical

Author:Jose Raul Capablanca

“It was Steinitz who was the first to establish the basic principles of general chess strategy. He was a pioneer and one of the most profound researchers into the thruth of the game, which was hidden from his contemporaries.”

Firsts Games Principles Strategy Profound Chess Pioneers Researchers Basic Principles

Author:Jose Raul Capablanca

“There was a time in my life when I almost thought I could never lose a single duel of chess.”

Author:Jose Raul Capablanca

“A passed pawn increase in strength as the number of pieces on the board diminishes.”

Numbers Pieces Increase Chess Boards Diminish Pawns Endgame World Champions Chess Pieces Chess Pawns

Book:Chess Fundamentals

Source: Chess Fundamentals

“A good player is always lucky.”

Success Player Lucky Chess

Author:Jose Raul Capablanca

“You may learn much more from a game you lose than from a game you win. You will have to lose hundreds of games before becoming a good player.”

May Motivation Games Winning Loses Player Becoming Losing Chess Chess Game Chess Players

Author:Jose Raul Capablanca

“In order to improve your game you must study the endgame before everything else; for, whereas the endings can be studied and mastered by themselves, the middlegame and the opening must be studied in relation to the endgame.”

Ends Order Games Study Middle Relation Chess Opening Chess Game Endgame

Author:Jose Raul Capablanca

“Endings of one rook and pawns are about the most common sort of endings arising on the chess board. Yet though they do occur so often, few have mastered them thoroughly. They are often of a very difficult nature, and sometimes while apparently very simple they are in reality extremely intricate.”

Sometimes Reality Difficult Simple Common Chess Boards Intricate Pawns

Book:Chess Fundamentals

Source: Chess Fundamentals

“The best way to learn endings, as well as openings, is from the games of the masters.”

Way Wells Games Masters Chess Best Way Opening

Author:Jose Raul Capablanca

“The winning of a pawn among good players of even strength often means the winning of the game.”

Mean Games Winning Player Chess Pawns

Book:Chess Fundamentals

Source: Chess Fundamentals

“The king, which during the opening and middlegame stage is often a burden because it has to be defended, becomes in the endgame a very important and aggressive piece, and the beginner should realize this, and utilize his king as much as possible.”

Should Important Realizing Pieces Stage Kings Burden Chess Opening Aggressive Beginners Endgame

Author:Jose Raul Capablanca

“An exception was made with respect to me, because of my victory over Marshall. Some of the masters objected to my entry ... one of them was Dr. Bernstein. I had the good fortune to play him in the first round., and beat him in such fashion as to obtain the Rothschild prize for the most brilliant game ... a profound feeling of respect for my ability remained throughout the rest of the contest.”

Firsts Made Play Feelings Games Ability Fashion Masters Victory Beats Fortune Profound Rounds Brilliant Chess Exception Prize Drs Contests Good Fortune Entry Rothschild

Author:Jose Raul Capablanca

“Morphy gained most of his wins by playing directly and simply, and it is simple and logical method that constitutes the true brilliance of his play, if it is considered from the viewpoint of the great masters.”

Ifs Play Winning Simple Masters Method Chess Logical Brilliance Viewpoints Playing Chess

Author:Jose Raul Capablanca

“None of the great players has been so incomprehensible to the majority of amateurs and even masters, as Emanuel Lasker.”

Has Beens Player Masters Majority Chess

Author:Jose Raul Capablanca

“When you sit down to play a game you should think only about the position, but not about the opponent. Whether chess is regarded as a science, or an art, or a sport, all the same psychology bears no relation to it and only stands in the way of real chess.”

Thinking Way Should Art Real Play Games Sports Psychology Position Bears Relation Chess Opponents

Author:Jose Raul Capablanca

“To improve at chess you should in the first instance study the endgame.”

Should Firsts Study Chess Instance Endgame

Author:Jose Raul Capablanca

“Alekhine evidently possesses the most remarkable chess memory that has ever existed. It is said that he remembers by heart all the games played by the leading masters during the last 15-20 years.”

Years Heart Said Lasts Remember Games Memories Masters Chess Remarkable Alekhine

Author:Jose Raul Capablanca

“Most players ... do not like losing, and consider defeat as something shameful. This is a wrong attitude. Those who wish to perfect themselves must regard their losses as lessons and learn from them what sorts of things to avoid in the future.”

Wish Loss Perfect Attitude Player Lessons Losing Regard Defeat Chess Shameful Chess Players Wrong Attitude

Author:Jose Raul Capablanca

“The weaker the player the more terrible the Knight is to him, but as a player increases in strength the value of the Bishop becomes more evident to him, and of course there is, or should be, a corresponding decease in his estimation of the value of the Knight as compared to the bishop.”

Should Values Courses Player Terrible Increase Chess Evident Knights Bishops Corresponding Estimation

Book:Chess Fundamentals

Source: Chess Fundamentals

“Chess can never reach its height by following in the path of science ... Let us, therefore, make a new effort and with the help of our imagination turn the struggle of technique into a battle of ideas.”

Ideas Helping Turns Imagination Effort Struggle Path Battle Following Technique Chess Height

Book:Hundred Best Games of Chess

Source: Hundred Best Games of Chess

“The game might be divided into three parts, the opening, the middle-game and the end-game. There is one thing you must strive for, to be equally efficient in the three parts.”

Ends Might Success Three Games One Thing Middle Strive Chess Opening Divided Efficient

Book:My Chess Career

Source: My Chess Career

“An hour's history of two minds is well told in a game of chess.”

Mind Wells Two Games Hours Chess Two Minds

Author:Jose Raul Capablanca

“Chess is something more than a game. It is an intellectual diversion which has certain artistic qualities and many scientific elements.”

Certain Games Quality Elements Intellectual Chess Artistic Diversion

Author:Jose Raul Capablanca

“During the course of many years I have observed that a great number of doctors, lawyers, and important businessmen make a habit of visiting a chess club during the late afternoon or evening to relax and find relief from the preoccupations of their work.”

Years Important Courses Numbers Habit Late Doctors Clubs Lawyer Chess Evening Relief Relax Afternoon Businessman Visiting Preoccupation Late Afternoon

Author:Jose Raul Capablanca

“Sultan Khan had become champion of India at Indian chess and he learned the rules of our form of chess at a later date. The fact that even under such conditions he succeeded in becoming champion reveals a genius for chess which is nothing short of extraordinary.”

Facts Form Conditions Genius Becoming India Extraordinary Chess Indian Champion

Author:Jose Raul Capablanca

“Ninety percent of the book variations have no great value, because either they contain mistakes or they are based on fallacious assumptions; just forget about the openings and spend all that time on the endings.”

Book Values Forget Mistake Percent Chess Opening Assumption Ninety Variation Great Value

Author:Jose Raul Capablanca

“Although the Knight is generally considered to be on a par with the Bishop in strength, the latter piece is somehat stronger in the majority of cases in which they are opposed to each other.”

Cases Pieces Stronger Majority Chess Latter Knights Bishops

Author:Jose Raul Capablanca

“The great World Champions Morphy, Steinitz, and Lasker were past masters in the art of Pawn play; they had no superiors in their handling of endgames. The present World Champion has not the strength of the other three as an endgame player, and is therefore inferior to them.”

World Art Play Past Three Player Masters Chess Superiors Champion Inferiors Pawns Endgame World Champions

Author:Jose Raul Capablanca

“To my way of thinking, Troitzky has no peer among endgame compsers; no one else has composed so many and such varied endings of the first rank.”

Thinking Way Firsts Chess My Way Peers Way Of Thinking Endgame

Author:Jose Raul Capablanca

“No other great master has been so misunderstood by the vast majority of chess amateurs and even by many masters, as has Emanuel Lasker.”

Has Beens Masters Majority Chess Misunderstood

Author:Jose Raul Capablanca

“People who want to improve should take their defeats as lessons, and endeavor to learn what to avoid in the future. You must also have the courage of your convictions. If you think your move is good, make it.”

People Ifs Thinking Want Should Moving Learning Lessons Defeat Conviction Chess Endeavor

Author:Jose Raul Capablanca

“Chess books should be used as we use glasses: to assist the sight, although some players make use of them as if they thought they conferred sight”

Ifs Should Book Use Used Player Sight Glasses Chess Chess Players

Author:Jose Raul Capablanca

“As one by one I mowed them down, my superiority soon became apparent”

Chess Superiority

Author:Jose Raul Capablanca

“Excellent! I will still be in time for the ballet!”

Stills Humour Chess Excellent Ballet

Author:Jose Raul Capablanca

“I have not given any drawn or lost games, because I thought them inadequate to the purpose of the book.”

Book Purpose Games Lost Given Losing Chess Inadequate

Book:My Chess Career

Source: My Chess Career

“In order to improve your game you must study the endgame before everything else.”

Order Games Study Chess Chess Game Endgame

Author:Jose Raul Capablanca

About the Author

Born: November 19, 1888
Died: March 8, 1942
Known for: Chess Player
Quotes: 39

Related Topics

Chess Games Player Endgame Masters Should Opening Firsts Losing Pawns Play Winning Art Book Chess Game Chess Players Ifs Increase Majority Order

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

Chess FundamentalsRelated source material

My Chess CareerRelated source material

Hundred Best Games of ChessRelated source material

Similar Authors

Mikhail BotvinnikBrowse related quotes
Bobby FischerBrowse related quotes
Siegbert TarraschBrowse related quotes
Emanuel LaskerBrowse related quotes
Savielly TartakowerBrowse related quotes
Anatoly KarpovBrowse related quotes
Alexander KotovBrowse related quotes
Boris SpasskyBrowse related quotes
Alexander AlekhineBrowse related quotes
David BronsteinBrowse related quotes