The only chess quote you need to keep in your mind
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The only chess quote you need to keep in your mind

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The Only Chess Quote You Need to Keep in Mind
"When you see a good move, look for a better one." – Emanuel Lasker

Emanuel Lasker was the second World Chess Champion, and he held that title for an unbelievable 27 years — the longest reign in history. He wasn’t just good at calculating moves; he understood people. Lasker would often play moves that made his opponents uncomfortable, even if they weren’t the “perfect” computer-approved moves. He treated chess as a fight of minds, not just a test of memorization. And from him comes one of the simplest and most powerful pieces of advice: "When you see a good move, look for a better one."

Chess is a mental battle. The pieces may be silent, but your mind is running a hundred thoughts at once. And your own emotions can be your biggest enemy. Pride, frustration, or impatience can trick you into making bad decisions. Sometimes, in the middle of a tense game, you just want the pressure to end — so you play the first move that looks “good enough.” That’s when winning positions slip away, or worse, losing ones turn into disasters.

This is where Lasker’s advice really matters. No matter how nice your current move looks, train yourself to think: Maybe there’s something better. Even when your position looks terrible, and you think you’re doomed, this mindset keeps you searching. It keeps you from giving up mentally before the game is truly over.

The difference between puzzles and real games explains why this advice works. In a puzzle, you already know there’s a trick to be found — so your brain is laser-focused on spotting it. But in a real game, you have no idea if a tactic exists. The board feels messy, unclear, and sometimes hopeless. That’s why many players can solve puzzles well but miss chances in real games — they don’t expect those chances to be there. If you always look for a better move, you’ll spot opportunities even when you’re not expecting them.

With this habit, you stay sharp even in tough positions where your opponent has the advantage. Because here’s the thing — your opponent can make mistakes too. They can overlook a threat, miscalculate a move, or get overconfident. But you’ll only notice these chances if you’re actively looking for them.

Lets Take this position as example:
As you can see White is in a great imbalance. White lost Queen and rooks while black still has a rook and Queen. Which means that the Black has the the edge in the game. But still there is a juice in the game

Can you see the fork?
Yes , Nf4+ is a fork after the king moves you can capture the Queen. which will cut off black's main advantage. You can simulate the moves in the board. 

But is this enough? I don't think so. Because Black still has a rook which can function like fast paced tankers in the end games. Though capturing queen can make things light for a while , yet we can't seal the victory with black having the rook.

So remember the quote 
"When you see a good move, look for a better one." – Emanuel Lasker

Lets revisit the position to find better ideas
But can you see something ?
Something that can get you the Queen back to action?
Yes, white pawn is in the 7th rank. If it can be pushed on more step forward , It can be promoted to a queen which can save our position. 

as we see Nd8+ will trap King in all corners left no where to move , so the only way King can escape the check is by recapturing the Knight by Rook . After which you can recapture the rook using pawn and promote it to Queen.

So can we conclude here?
You see some problem here?

Yes - after these moves black Queen can simply blow a check mate eventually starting from Qd2+.
Your masterful tactics to reclaim your Queen means nothing if your opponent can deliver a check mate the very next move. 
So lets apply Lasker's quote again. Can we use the pawn promotion even better?
Did see something?

Yes, When you make the move Nd8+. The king is literally blocked in all ways. It would have been a check mate if not for the rook.

So after the Rook capturing the Knight at d8, While pawn re capturing the rook - instead of promoting to Queen why not promote it to a Knight . which will deliver a killer blow to the Black king.

At the end of the day. The check mate move is better move than any promotion or material balance. My man Tal will be sacrificing queens to win games haha!
This is just one example to give a good idea about the key to win the games are hidden in the plain sight. The Lasker's rule is not just about delivering check mates. Using a similar mindset can push your edge in every factors of chess starting from winning material to achieving a stronger position. 


Quick Tip: try applying this rule extensively while analyzing the game after the match(Don't use engines or evaluation bar)

Conclusion:

Think of it like a spy who thinks someone’s following him. He doesn’t just take one precaution — he keeps checking behind him, changes routes, and stays alert the whole time. That’s what Lasker’s quote trains you to do in chess: stay alert, keep searching, and never stop looking for the move that might change everything.

In the end, “When you see a good move, look for a better one” isn’t just a chess tip — it’s a mindset. It teaches patience, curiosity, and the refusal to settle for “good enough.” Whether you’re in a winning, losing, or even position, this way of thinking can be the key to turning the game in your favor.