Chess Explorations (11)
By Edward Winter
In C.N. 5520 Fred Shapiro (New Haven, CT, USA), the editor of The Yale
Book of Quotations (2006), announced that for the book’s next edition
he would welcome suggestions for the ten most famous chess observations of all
time. Since quotations without proper attributions are worthless, a rock-solid
source is needed in each case, and below are our current suggestions (eight
in all). Additions and all other proposals from readers will be very welcome.
François-André Danican Philidor (1726-1795)
-
‘... les Pions. Ils ſont l’ame des Echècs.’ (Modern
spelling: ‘... les Pions. Il sont l’âme des Echecs ...’)
L’Analyze des Echecs by F.-A. D. Philidor (London, 1749), page
xix.
-
‘... the Pawns: They are the very Life of this Game.’)
Chess Analysed [Cheſs Analyſed] by F.-A. D. Philidor
(London, 1750), pages ix-x.
C.N. 5796 gave, courtesy of Jurgen Stigter (Amsterdam), a number of reproductions
from the earliest editions of Philidor’s book. The first occurrence of
the famous remark was on page xix of L’Analyze des Echecs (London,
1749):
Below, to show the context, is the full page:
Subsequent editions in French (e.g. dated 1752 and 1754) featured the identical
text, but with minor variations in spelling and accents.
The first English edition of Philidor’s book, Chess Analysed [Cheſs
Analyſed] (London, 1750), had the following (pages ix-x):
Peter Pratt (circa 1770-circa 1835)
- [Chess is] ‘a gymnasium of the mind.’
Studies of Chess by P. Pratt (London, 1803), page iii.
C.N. 3626 referred to misattributions of the quote to Lenin and Pascal. Regarding
the latter we commented:
‘On a number of webpages which pluck “chess quotes” out
of thin air and list them without any attributions or qualms the “gymnasium
of the mind” phrase is ascribed to Blaise Pascal, although we have yet
to see an (alleged) original French version of the remark. That may be because
according to the Robert dictionary the word gymnase is not recorded
in the French language (with the meaning in question) until 1704, whereas
Pascal died in 1662. Moreover, Georges Renaud wrote on page 28 of issue 17
of Les Cahiers de l’Echiquier Français (1928) that there was
“aucune allusion directe aux échecs dans l’oeuvre de Pascal”.’
William Hazlitt (1778-1830)
- ‘A great chess-player is not a great man, for he leaves the world
as he found it. No act terminating in itself constitutes greatness. This will
apply to all displays of power or trials of skill, which are confined to the
momentary, individual effort, and construct no permanent image or trophy of
themselves without them.’
Table-Talk by W. Hazlitt (London, 1821), page 198.
The observation was discussed in a letter headed ‘Hazlitt and Chess’
from H.A.K., Bath, October 1855, on pages 372-373 of the 1855 Chess Player’s
Chronicle. Its inclusion in the present list was suggested by Mark McCullagh
(Belfast, Northern Ireland).
Henry James Byron (1835-1884)
- ‘Life’s too short for chess.’
Talbot, in Act I of Our Boys by H.J. Byron. Play first performed in
London on 16 January 1875. Text published in 1880.
Emanuel Lasker (1868-1941)
-
‘Nun, auf dem Schachbrett der Meister gilt Lüge und Heuchelei
nicht lange.’
Lehrbuch des Schachspiels by E. Lasker (Berlin, 1926), page 201.
-
‘On the Chess-board lie and hypocrisy do not survive long.’
Lasker’s Manual of Chess by E. Lasker (New York, 1927), page
262.
Note: ‘lie’ became ‘lies’ on page 235 of the London,
1932 edition.
The above painting of Emanuel Lasker has appeared in Chess Notes courtesy of
David DeLucia (Darien, CT, USA). See C.N.s 5071 and 5103.
Siegbert Tarrasch (1862-1934)
-
‘Das Schach hat wie die Liebe, wie die Musik die Fähigkeit, den
Menschen glücklich zu machen.’
Das Schachspiel by S. Tarrasch (Berlin, 1931), page 4.
-
‘Chess, like love, like music, has the power to make men happy.’
The Game of Chess by S. Tarrasch (London, 1935), page xi. Translated
by G.E. Smith and T.G. Bone.
Aron Nimzowitsch (1886-1935)
-
‘Zuerst hemmen, dann blockieren und schließlich vernichten.’
Mein System by A. Nimzowitsch (Berlin, 1925), page 246.
-
‘First restrain, next blockade, lastly destroy.’
My System by A. Nimzowitsch (London, 1929), page 181. Translated
by P. Hereford.
This woodcut of Aron Nimzowitsch by Erwin Voellmy was published in the Schweizerische
Schachzeitung, September 1929, page 138.
Savielly Tartakower (1887-1956)
-
‘Die Fehler sind dazu da, um gemacht zu werden.’
Die Hypermoderne Schachpartie by S. Tartakower (Vienna, 1924),
page 90.
-
Customary English translation: ‘The mistakes are all there, waiting
to be made.’
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or suggestions on chess explorations
All articles by Edward
Winter
Edward
Winter is the editor of Chess
Notes, which was founded in January 1982 as "a forum for aficionados
to discuss all matters relating to the Royal Pastime". Since then over
5,800 items have been published, and the series has resulted in four books by
Winter: Chess
Explorations (1996), Kings,
Commoners and Knaves (1999), A
Chess Omnibus (2003) and Chess
Facts and Fables (2006). He is also the author of a monograph
on Capablanca (1989).
Chess Notes is well known for its historical research, and anyone browsing
in its archives
will find a wealth of unknown games, accounts of historical mysteries, quotes
and quips, and other material of every kind imaginable. Correspondents from
around the world contribute items, and they include not only "ordinary
readers" but also some eminent historians – and, indeed, some eminent
masters. Chess Notes is located at the Chess
History Center. Signed copies of Edward Winter's publications are
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