Meandering across the board . . .

Today is the birthday of Emanuel Lasker (December 24, 1868 – January 11, 1941), chess player, mathematician, and philosopher. He was World Chess Champion for 27 years and the first chess master to demand high fees.

"Without error there can be no brilliancy." - Emanuel Lasker

"Lies and hypocrisy do not survive for long on the chessboard. The creative combination lies bare the presumption of a lie, while the merciless fact, culminating in a checkmate, contradicts the hypocrite." - Emanuel Lasker

"Where a mediocre chessplayer sees ten moves to continue his game, a master may see only two or three. He discards the others as not of sufficient merit. The further the master progresses in skill and foresight the more he is restricted in his choice of moves . . . The higher the class of the artist, the less is his liberty." - Emanuel Lasker

"Education in Chess has to be an education in independent thinking and judgement. Chess must not be memorized, simply because it is not important enough . . . Memory is too valuable to be stocked with trifles." - Emanuel Lasker

"When you see a good move, look for a better one" - Emanuel Lasker

Lasker image source (1)