"A castled rook is already developed."

"Amateurs love rules. Masters love to ridicule them."

""A chessplayer's talent is measured not by his knowledge of the rules but his ability to find exceptions to them," wrote Viktor Korchnoi"

"Rules and maxims should not be used as a substitute for thinking. But they are wonderful as prompters to thinking. Good rules point in the right direction."

--- All above quotes are from introduction to the book, "The Wisest Things Ever Said About Chess," by Andrew Soltis

Many of the wise sayings in the book are generalizations. Generalizations are always untrue.

But whether or not any of the "wisest things ever said about chess" are extremely specific or the most wide-sweeping of generalities, they are pleasant stimulus to some worthwhile fresh thoughts.

HighDesertDweller