My Chess Quotes Over The Years

Below are some of my quotes over the years! Enjoy!

* Win with grace, lose with dignity!

* What does it take to be a champion? Desire, dedication, determination, personal and professional discipline, focus, concentration, strong nerves, the will to win, and yes, talent!

* No matter how successful you are (or will be), never ever forget the people who helped you along the way, and pay it forward! Don’t become arrogant and conceited just because you gained a few rating points or made a few bucks. Stay humble and be nice, especially to your fans!

* Life is like a chess game. Every decision, just like every move, has consequences. There is no takeback! Therefore, decide wisely!

* When people insult and disrespect you, the best revenge is to continue to win, and win, and win….

* Every defeat is an opportunity to learn from our mistakes! Every victory is a confirmation of our hard work!

* A chess player uses his/her knowledge to prepare for next game while a passionate coach prepares for next generation!

* The mind has no restrictions. The only restriction is what you believe you cannot do. So go ahead and challenge yourself to do one thing every day that scares you.

* Winning is about commitment, discipline, hard work, dedication, determination, courage and sometimes even luck!

* Champions play to win while others play not to lose!

* Passion is infectious! But passion alone is not enough. You also need hard work, dedication & sacrifice every day!

* What you lack in natural chess talent can be compensated by 110% of 3 D’s: Dedication, Determination & Discipline!

* Winning is a habit but so is losing! It is up to you to pick the right road to winning! Choose wisely!

* When people insult and disrespect you, the best revenge is to continue to win, and win, and win!

* Never be satisfied with what you have accomplished. That is the past. Keep making new goals and aim higher. Otherwise, others will pass you by.

* Chess is a game of war but a peaceful war where no human lives are at stake!

* Do not wait for success to come to you. You have to knock down all obstacles & barriers every single day to find it!

* You have 2 choices in life: Either construct your own beautiful dreams or others will employ you to build theirs!

* Do not wait until tomorrow to do what you can accomplish today! Get on the road to success now!

* You cannot get to the other side of the sea by just staring at the waves. Be brave and take that first step!

* You cannot control your opponent’s playing style but you can dissect his weaknesses & exploit them to your advantage

* Some do not reach their chess goals because of fear of losing. Learn from your mistakes & keep on improving daily!

* Follow your values & principles, and stay strong. Be who you are and not what others want you to be!

* The meaning of life is to find your true passion. The purpose of life is to share it.

* You cannot buy integrity! Practice your values every day instead of just talking about it!

* Do not judge a person based on wealth, but instead on integrity and the positive impact he/she makes.

* It’s never too late to set new goals and dream new dreams. Just do not procrastinate!

* What could you accomplish if you have no fear? Do not be afraid to achieve your dreams because of your fear!

* Champions play to win and they are the ultimate problem solvers! They always find a way to win no matter what! Champions find a way to beat their opponents, even on days when they are not at 100%.

* Do not wait for opportunities to come to you. Go create your own path and opportunities!

* People usually do not succeed unless they are passionate about what they do. Go find your passion. I found mine at 4!

* Success is the result of small efforts, every day, over the years. Do not make excuses for your failure!

* You can be as great as you want. Set realistic goals & give 110% to accomplish those goals. Never give up!

* When people tell me that something can’t be done, they motivate me even more to prove them wrong!

* The road to the top is seldom traveled because it is hard, but the big prize at the pinnacle can be quite rewarding!

* Hard work does not guarantee you victory. But it WILL give you a better chance to be in the position to win!

* Success does not come from luck. It takes hard work, determination and perseverance!

* You cannot sustain greatness if you are too comfortable! To remain at the top, you constantly have to stay hungry and motivated everyday!

* I believe that the best style is a universal one, tactical and positional at the same time.

* You have to work extremely hard to reach the top. But you have to work twice as hard if you want to remain there!

* If you want to reach new heights, or achieve greatness, you need to first get out of your comfort zone. This is one of the biggest obstacles for chess players. Many are afraid to try new things because they are so afraid to fail.

* Chess is a miniature version of life. To be successful, you need to be disciplined, assess resources, consider responsible choices, and adjust when circumstances change.

* Champions do not look for shortcuts and they do not look for the easy way to get by! Champions fight through difficulties, battle adversities, and overcome all odds to win!

* At SPICE, we build champions, on and off the chess board!

* The only way one can fully maximize chess potentials is to be able to properly assess strengths/weaknesses, and be willing to work diligently every day to fix those specific problems.

* I always try to do the right things, even if they are hard and unpopular.

* A dream will remain a dream unless YOU decide to make it a reality! YOU have the power make it happen!

* You do not reach your full potential by staying in your comfort zone. You do it by mastering your weaknesses, conquering your fears, and broaden your chess weapons!

* If the things you are doing do not bring you the results and success you want, then shouldn’t you make modifications and improve? Insanity is doing the same failing things over & over again and expecting a different outcome!

* Why choose to be average when you can be great? Most chess players normally hate every minute of training. But the pain you are suffering today can bring you a lifetime of rewards. Nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough!

* You can’t win the big ones unless you learn how to checkmate your own nerves!

* If you want to succeed bad enough, you will find a way to train harder. If not, you will find plenty of excuses!

* To be champion requires more than simply being a strong player. One also needs to be physically and mentally fit, possesses the ability to handle stress and pressure, and toughness to come back from defeat.

* ‪What are you waiting for? Your dream can only come true if you have the desire and determination to go after it. Stop wasting your time waiting for a genie to grant you success. We live in the real world and not fantasyland.

* Everyone wants to win. But few are willing to diligently put in the hard work, every single day, to give themselves that chance. So do not expect to win consistently if you are not ready to make the necessary sacrifices to get there.

* I do not believe in chess stagnation! I believe everyone CAN improve! But if you always do what you have always done, you will always be exactly where you have always been! So if you want to get better, get off the fence of indecision and change to the better path!

* In sports, especially in chess, one of the hardest things to do is to close out and win a won game! Many sports teams fell apart in the final minutes and many chess players failed to win completely won positions. It requires calm nerves, patience, and objectivity!

* It is easy for people who accomplished little to criticize, condemn, and complain. Do not be distracted by criticism. Champions do not have time to worry about the critics. Work harder and keep on winning! It is the best antidote!

* Chess, just as life, is a constant test. It is a test of many things – of our convictions, our decision making skill, our patience, our self control, our resilience, our determination, our focus, and our will to succeed, etc.

* Don’t train for 2nd place! Don’t play for 2nd place! And don’t be happy with 2nd place! Champions play to win while others are happy with participation medals!

* In my lifetime, I have often heard from many people that my brain is too small, I only win because I am lucky (both as a player & now coach), I am too ugly, I have no talent, I am too stupid, etc. I am very thankful for all these nice people for motivating me every single day!♟

* In the playoff for the ultimate title between 2 very evenly matched opponents, it will be less about chess and more about who has stronger will and better nerves!

* Are you an INNOVATOR or a protector of STATUS QUO? If you do not innovate, you will stagnate! Create new goals for yourself, and do not give yourself an option to fail!

* Never limit yourself because of your age, gender, economic status, or any other barriers. Champions will find ways to win no matter how big the obstacles are! The only person who can stop you from fulfilling your dreams is you!

* If you are unable to understand the problem, how can you solve it? If you do not know your chess weaknesses, how can you improve?

* If you want to achieve something, don’t just wish for it. Do it, get it, make it happen. Life is too short to sit around and hope for something good to happen.

* I do not believe in the status quo. I believe in constant improvement, even by a little, every single day!

* A goal without a plan, strategy, and execution, is just a fantasy, and will likely remain that way!

* Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your head. Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, shift your energy to finding a winning solution! The success that rise in adversity is the rarest and most impressive of all!

* We all have dreams, sometimes big ones. But for dreams to become reality, it will take an insane amount of will, determination, dedication, self-discipline, hard work, and failure is not an option attitude!

* If winning is not important then why do people keep score? If losing is not a big deal then why do people get upset? So if you hate feeling lousy then work harder and play to win!

* Your chess does not get better by chance. It gets better by constant improvement and refinement of your existing skills.

* All chess players have weaknesses in their games. A huge sin which slows down chess improvement is the lack of objectivity. If players cannot be honest when assessing their own weaknesses, how can they possibly know what to work on to improve?

* No player can escape from having bad games or bad tournaments from time to time. What separates the best from the rest is the ability to stay calm, cope with disappointment, and bounce right back to fight even harder. Winners never quit!

* Champions do not quit when facing adversity! They go back to the drawing board, pinpoint the problems, fix them, then fight again with even more determination and intensity!

* When people ask what is the biggest achievement of my 45+ year career, in my mind, it will be my next success. My advice is do not live in your past glory. Continue to go forward and aim for the next big accomplishment!

* One of the most important qualities Champions possess is mental toughness! It is the drive, determination & willpower to fight to win, especially when under severe pressure. Not all are born with it. But the good news is it’s possible to learn it.