Mikhail Botvinnik

When my opponent's clock is going I discuss general considerations in an internal dialogue with myself. When my own clock is going…

— Mikhail Botvinnik

Chess, like any creative activity, can exist only through the combined efforts of those who have creative talent, and those who have…

— Mikhail Botvinnik

Chess cannot be taught. Chess can only be learned.

— Mikhail Botvinnik

Don't worry kids, you'll find work. After all, my machine will need strong chess player-programmers. You will be the first.

— Mikhail Botvinnik

A knight ending is really a pawn ending.

— Mikhail Botvinnik

I only think well when my mind is calm.

— Mikhail Botvinnik

Capablanca's phenomenal move-searching algorithm in those early years, when he possessed a wonderful ability for calculating variations very rapidly, made him invincible.

— Mikhail Botvinnik

Above all else, before playing in competitions a player must have regard to his health, for if he is suffering from ill-health…

— Mikhail Botvinnik

Chess mastery essentially consists of analyzing Chess positions accurately

— Mikhail Botvinnik

Chess is no whit inferior to the violin, and we have a large number of professional violinists

— Mikhail Botvinnik

It is a well known fact that almost all the outstanding chess-players have been first-class analysts.

— Mikhail Botvinnik