Chess QuoteMasters #7: GM David Bronstein
We do not see things as they are. We see things as we are. [probable Talmudic origin]
[A note for my regular readers: The intro has not changed...much...except for the following paragraph. Feel free to jump to the Table of Contents.]
To my fellow, esteemed quotologists [the correct term is "phraseologist"...I think my Urban Dictionary term of the art is freighted with more meaning and more user-friendly], the opening Talmudic quote may have been applied to dreams. That quote, often attributed to Anaïs Nin, although she knows better, and similar quotes have been used to refer to many human endeavors. Certainly, it applies to chess, where our vision is often muddled, if not confounded, by recent events in our own lives and the world around us. Not to mention the chaos on the board in front of us. But don't worry, we are not here to delve arcanely into chess and psychology. Our goal is to discern which chess players generated the most memorable quotes.
So, who are the GOATs of chess quotes? Do you have an opinion?
Hey, it's no problem if you haven't considered the issue! I'm more than willing to fill that particular void in your thoughts with my opinions!!
What makes my opinions better than yours? Well, my opinion is informed by decades of chess and a (diminished) chess library that takes up multiple shelves in my library. Primarily, though, I'm the one who took the time to put some thought into this sorely overlooked aspect of chess history, a Top Ten ranking of the greatest Chess QuoteMasters (QMs) of all time.
Still, it's just a set of opinions. Besides, if you don't fully agree with my judgments, though I can hardly imagine such a contrary and confused state of mind, then chess.com generously provided a comments section so you can express your agreements, disagreements, quibbles, corrections, expansions, nominations, and questions. Some of which I will respond to!
In this blog, you can quickly review the candidates and then read what I wrote about QM #7, David Bronstein.
Questions for the Reader to Ponder
Why QM Bronstein Earned the #7 Spot
Reminder About Those "Questions for the Reader"
The candidates, in alphabetical order, are Alekhine, Bronstein, Capablanca, Dvoretsky, Fischer, Kasparov, Kotov, Lakdawala, Emanuel Lasker, Mednis, Nimzowitsch, Nunn, Pachman, Romanovsky, Seirawan, Silman, Soltis, Spielmann, Steinitz, Tal, Tarrasch, Tartakower, and Znosko-Borovsky. No, you can't add anyone. All the selecting has already been done, and that's that, so it's too late to nominate anyone else. And the choices for #1 to #10 are also locked in the electrons orbiting inside my computer. So there!
You'll have noted there are more than ten candidates, twenty-three in point of fact! Well, of course there are! Otherwise, you could start making some well-informed guesses after the first five were announced. Now there's at least an attempt to shroud the results in a bit of mystery as we count down to numbers three, two, and one!
Buckle up, buttercup. I've got questions for YOU!!
Questions for the Reader
Thought I'd prompt you up front on some of the questions you might want to ponder while commenting on the blog at the end.
| Q1A: Based on the quotes you're about to read, consider whether Bronstein was a good choice for the number seven spot? |
| Q1B: Do you think Kasparov, Soltis, or Spielmann had better quotes than Bronstein? |
| Q2: Who do you think will take the number 6 spot? |
| Q3: Who do you think will take the number one spot? |
Some Q&A names and totals from earlier blogs in this series.
| Question | Current Votes (last updated: 07042025: 6:34 AM EST) |
| Who do you think was left out and why should they have been included? | Philidor (1), Morphy (1), Giri (1), Grischuk (1), Rozman (1), Tony Miles (1) |
| Who do you think won't make the QM Top Ten at all? | Capablanca (1), @DocSimoo's Grandma (1), Alekhine (1), Lakdawala (1), Znosko-Borovsky (1) |
| Who did people think would take the number ten spot? | Bronstein (1), Nimzowitsch (1), Spassky (1), Tarrasch (1) |
| Who did people think would take the number nine spot? | Pachman (1), Lasker (1), Steinitz (1) |
| Who did people think would take the number eight spot? | Lasker (1), Nimzowitsch (1), Steinitz (1) |
| Who did people think would take the number seven spot? | Lasker (1), Lakdawala (1), Tartakower (1) |
| Who did people think would take the number one spot? | Nimzowitsch (2), Fischer (½*), Tal (½*), Kasparov (1) |
*@DocSimoo split their vote between Fischer and Tal.
#25 chess.com Hall of Fame: David Bronstein
David Bronstein (Russian: Дави́д Ио́нович Бронште́йн; February 19, 1924 – December 5, 2006) was a Soviet GM and two-time joint Soviet CC. He almost became the World CC in 1951 after tying Botvinnik 12 -12, 5W-14D-5L each, but the reigning champion prevailed in the case of a tied match. Bronstein managed to lose four equal endgames after adjournment.
Because FIDE’s rating system did not go into effect until 1970, Bronstein’s peak rating is cited as 2595 in May 1974 with a peak ranking of #17 in July 1971. Just another case where ChessMetrics offers more useful measurements! That site suggests the most accurate quantitative measurement of his rating was 2792 in June 1951 and they placed him #1 in the world in 19 different months between June 1950 and December 1951.
Bronstein had numerous tournament and Interzonal victories and played for the Soviet team in four Olympiads in the 1950s, winning board prizes each time, losing only one game, and securing four team golds.
Some Selected Bronstein Writings
A leading figure in renovating the KID and King’s Gambit, there are variations named after him in the Caro-Kann and the Scandinavian Defence. A creative genius OTB, with endgames perceived as his greatest weakness, Bronstein was also a phenomenal writer with two particularly revered books imo, the Zurich International Chess Tournament, 1953 and The Chess Struggle in Practice.
In this instance, I only have the two middle books.
Okay, let's get to the heart of the matter, the ten quotes allowed to each candidate for the QM Top Ten.
You'll observe Quote #1 in the image above. As I explained in the Criteria, it's important to me to be able to visualize at least one quote. Bronstein's quote reminded me of the fact doors open and close, but if you don't even know there is a door it won't matter when opportunity knocks. Such thoughts are one reason I once published an article titled Burning Bridges in a base newspaper. Sometimes a would-be, could-be, or maybe-not bridge should be burnt, blown up, disavowed, and consigned to the bad ideas bin. Other bridges remain mere outlines of possibilities about which we harbor hopes. Sometimes we step upon a bridge, only to discover our thoughts did not provide the necessary supporting structure...so close, but so far, with only a dismal plunge at the end. Sometimes an ephemeral bridge fulfills its initial glittering promise with a joyful crossing, even though at the beginning of the journey the bridge was still under construction. Still and all, the bridges we weren't even aware of may be the ones we regret most after the game curtain falls and analysis begins.
Enough sophistry. We're on to the remaining nine quotes! I could have created images for several of these, but the ample goal for each of the QMs will simply be to demonstrate that one of their quotes was readily converted to an image that resonates.
What the devil possessed me to reply 1. ... e5?? I completely forgot that Spassky, like Spielmann in the past, very much likes to play the King's Gambit. Quotes On Chess Openings
Theory regards this opening as incorrect, but it is impossible to agree with this. Out of the five tournament games played by me with the King's Gambit, I have won all five. Quotes On Chess Openings
The most powerful weapon in chess is to have the next move. Humourous Chess Quotes
When everything on the board is clear it can be so difficult to conceal your thoughts from your opponent. Chess Quotes - Strategy
Chess is infinite, and one has to make only one ill-considered move, and one's opponent's wildest dreams will become reality. Chess Quotes - Chess
A strong player requires only a few minutes of thought to get to the heart of the conflict. You see a solution immediately, and half an hour later merely convince yourself that your intuition has not deceived you. Chess Quotes - Time
It would be as naive to study the song of the nightingale, as it would be ridiculous to try and win a King's Gambit against a representative of the old chess guard. Quotes On Chess Openings
When you play against an experienced opponent who exploits all the defensive resources at his command you sometimes have to walk time and again, along the narrow path of 'the only move'. Chess Quotes - Strategy
A game of chess is not an examination of knowledge; it is a battle of nerves.
Making a list, checking it twice
I would hope some sharp-eyed critic out there would ask this critical question: What criteria did I use to determine who made the QM Top Ten List and who didn't? You asked for it, you got it! Right here, and right now.
| #1 | Gut feel. Darned if what they said doesn't resonate somewhere in my chess soul. |
| #2 | Must have ten quotable quotes that I could find without too much painful research on my part. |
| #3 | It must have been written or translated into English. I leave it to others to manage their linguistic chess QMs. |
| #4 | If it's a full paragraph...it isn't a quote. |
| #5 |
If it made me laugh it's probably a winner. |
| #6 | If it made me laugh and cry it's almost definitely a winner. |
| #7 | If it seemed glaringly obvious, I tried to consider when it was said. Sometimes that works, sometimes...not. |
| #8 | Can I visualize at least one quote? Can I create a picture that captures the essence of a quote? |
For each QM, I will be adding my take on why #9 was better than #10, and so forth, with every post. That's found at Why David Bronstein Earned the #7 Spot.
There might be a quote shootout, with five to ten additional quotes, if two QM candidates are evenly matched after their first ten quotes. This is unlike the 2024 World Blitz CC, and more like a golf tournament with a sudden death playoff. There can be no ties, but if it comes down to a coin flip, a spin of the roulette wheel, a random dart toss, or a roll of the dice to decide, so be it. Ultimately, I wield the scythe that separates and slots the candidates. [Tiebreaks will usually occur behind the scenes.]
Sheesh! Everybody's a critic!!
Are there any flaws in your approach?
I can't hear you!! Why does this come up in every post? Oh, wait. I placed the question in the template and now it's recursive.🙃😉
Perhaps there are, perhaps it's flawless. (In other words, "You bet your sweet bippie!") That said, for most of the potential QMs I relied on quotes easily found in the wild, sayings that were gyrating around the meme-verse, t-shirts, and on the lips of players and coaches everywhere and everywhen. However, some of these folks wrote very quotable material, but for some reason their quotes have not spread broadly across the chess echosystem. ("Echosystem" is my second-newest contribution to the renowned Urban Dictionary; echoverse is my most recent entry, comprising a system of echosystems.)
What do you do when finding quotes seems impossible?
For those whose quotes have not yet infiltrated every nook and cranny of the chess echosystem, I was forced to do page-by-page research of books they had written...though only after first filtering through a List of Chess Notes Feature Articles by Edward Winter that that offered alphabetical access regarding information about chess notables, starting with Alekhine and closing with Zukertort. [After that the site moved on to innumerable other tidbits of interest for any would-be or actual chess historian.]
Okay, what's your point? You did a lot of research, so what?
In my circular way of getting to the point, I found that I turned up a lot of very quotable material going through a book for those whose sayings did not yet appear widely across the chess quote echosystem. I harbor hope these twelve posts will alleviate some of that lack of respect for people who are eminently quotable.
Still, the process left me to ponder whether an in-depth look into only some candidate's published works was an injustice to those who had plenty of quotes already bouncing around the echoverse. Bottom line, I chose not to do a page-by-page of every candidate's works. One, I don't have books by all of them. Two, I don't have an infinite amount of time and energy.
To double down, I'm not going change my approach. As a character said in Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse 5, "So it goes."
Sigh...I'd like to say that he beat out Chess QuoteMaster (QM) #9: GM Rudolf Spielmann and Chess QuoteMaster #10: GM Andrew Soltis simply because Bronstein was ranked #1 in the world and secured a tie in a World CC match. But then how could I explain Chess QuoteMaster (QM) #8: Garry Kasparov. Okay, that bridge led to nowhere. Guess I'll have to move away from simple rationales and falling metaphors.
Let's dispense with Spielmann first. As pointed out in the Kasparov blog, Spielmann focused on tactics (of course, his quotes are taken from his book, duh!) But Bronstein's quote palette covers a broader spectrum, and his brush strokes were more masterful.
GM Soltis' quotes, as when compared to Kasparov, does not match the vibrancy of Bronstein. When reading Bronstein's quotes, my emotions ranged from, "Oh, yeah, I know that feeling!", to useful insights Soltis provided as a teaching tool, to nigh-on spiritual reckonings. "Ah, the places we will go."
So, @KevinSmithIdiot, why did you place Bronstein ahead of King Garry? After all, he too talked about opportunities missed!
Bottom line? The human element. When Bronstein talks about how foolish he was to allow Spassky the chance to play the King's Gambit that struck all the right chords. It was a mind-expanding, post-game epiphany, a true QM brilliancy!! Then there were the subtle touches, such as pointing out that the true GMs of the board may see the best move instantly, but that they still have to put in the time to ensure their intuition is correct and not to be foiled "for want of a nail." And who can't help but laugh at Bronstein's disparagement of opening theorists for pointing out that the King's Gambit is incorrect. After all, he won the five times he played it!
I have questions, even if you don't have answers!
Reminder About Reader Questions
Many of these questions will change with every entry in the QM Top Ten posts. But that seems kind of obvious.🤣
| Q1A: Do you think Bronstein was a good choice for the number 7 spot? |
| Q1B: Do you think Kasparov, Soltis, or Spielmann had better quotes than Bronstein? |
| Q2: Who do you think will take the number 6 spot? |
| Q3: Who do you think will take the number one spot? |
In the table below I'll track names, if not full responses, for questions two and three.
| Question | Your Votes (19 July 2025 at 5:32 PM my time) |
| 1A | No (2) [I may have misinterpreted the answers. I've revised question one. It is now in two parts.] |
| 1B | Yes (1) |
| 2 | Lasker [@VOB96's forever choice], Lakdawala [@NMChesstoImpress] [Kevin: Cy is one of my chess writing GOATs, so I fully appreciate this vote] |
| 3 | Nimzowitsch (3) [@VOB96, @NMChesstoImpress...though he's wavering, and @PokeGirl93]; Fischer (½*), Tal (½*), Kasparov (1) [Obviously the Kasparov vote was made before his position in the Top Ten QMs was announced.] |
Short, sweet, surely spellbinding! Well, that's the goal. Ultimately, if someone besides me reads these, I'll consider the success box checked.😉😎
If you enjoyed this, please come back to see who was ranked #6 all the way through #1...and then a special edition (or three) with quotes from all the contenders who didn't make my Top Ten, but about whom you might have your own opinions on where they should have fallen.
Cheers!
Kevin
The battle for the ultimate truth will never be won. And that's why chess is so fascinating. – Hans Kmoch
No fantasy, however rich, no technique, however masterly, no penetration into the psychology of the opponent, however deep, can make a chess game a work of art, if these qualities do not lead to the main goal – the search for truth. – Vasily Smyslov
For every door the computers have closed they have opened a new one. – Viswanathan Anand
Prior Blogs in the Quote Master Series
ANNOUNCMENT! The Top Ten Chess Quotemasters (QMs)
Chess QuoteMaster #10: GM Andrew Soltis
