An hour's history of two minds is well told in a game of chess.
Jose Raul CapablancaRead
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the mastery of past world chess champions in endgame strategies, suggesting that the current champion lacks their skill in this crucial aspect of the game.
Jose Raul Capablanca emphasizes the significance of endgame skills in chess, stating that legendary players like Morphy, Steinitz, and Lasker excelled in pawn play and endgame techniques. He argues that the current champion, while perhaps strong in other areas, does not match the historical giants in their ability to navigate the complexities of endgames, marking a fundamental difference in their overall chess prowess.
Themes
ChessEndgamePawn PlayChampionsStrategySkill
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a chess class to emphasize the importance of mastering endgames.
More from Jose Raul Capablanca
All quotes →A passed pawn increase in strength as the number of pieces on the board diminishes.
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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
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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.
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Chess is something more than a game. It is an intellectual diversion which has certain artistic qualities and many scientific elements.
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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.
Jose Raul CapablancaRead
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