There isn't a woman player in the world I can't give knights-odds to and still beat.
Bobby FischerRead
But the thing that was great about Capablanca was that he really spoke his mind, he said what he believed was true, he said what he felt. He [Capablanca] wanted to change the rules [of chess] already, back in the twenties, because he said chess was getting played out. He was right. Now chess is completely dead. It is all just memorisation and prearrangement. It's a terrible game now. Very uncreative.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Bobby Fischer critiques the modern state of chess, emphasizing the importance of expressing true feelings and creative thought.
In this quote, Bobby Fischer reflects on the genius of José Raúl Capablanca, highlighting his candidness and innovative spirit. Fischer mourns the current state of chess, which he feels has devolved into a rigid game dominated by memorization rather than creativity, thus advocating for a return to genuine expression and individual thought within the game.
Themes
ChessCreativityInnovationExpressionMemory
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the evolution of games, this quote can highlight the importance of creativity over rote memorization.
More from Bobby Fischer
All quotes →She and I just don't see eye to eye together. She's a square. She keeps telling me that I'm too interested in chess, that I should get friends outside of chess, you can't make a living from chess, that I should finish high school and all that nonsense. She keeps in my hair and I don't like people in my hair, you know, so I had to get rid of her.
Bobby FischerRead
Capablanca was among the greatest of chess players, but not because of his endgame. His trick was to keep his openings simple, and then play with such brilliance in the middlegame that the game was decided - even though his ooponent didn't always know it - before they arrived at the ending.
Bobby FischerRead
I give 98 percent of my mental energy to Chess Others give only 2 percent
Bobby FischerRead
I felt that chess... is a science in the form of a game... I consider myself a scientist. I wanted to be treated like a scientist.
Bobby FischerRead
You have to have the fighting spirit. You have to force moves and take chances
Bobby FischerRead
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