--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Chess is so interesting in itself, as not…" description: "\"Chess is so interesting in itself, as not to need the view of gain to induce engaging in it; and thence it is never played for money\" — Benjamin Franklin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/088/benjamin-franklin-65_chess_chess-is-so-interesting-in-itself-as-not_1919712.png" --- # Chess is so interesting in itself, as not to need the view… ![“Chess is so interesting in itself, as not to need the view of gain to induce engaging in it; and thence it is never played for money” quote by Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/088/benjamin-franklin-65_chess_chess-is-so-interesting-in-itself-as-not_1919712.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/088/benjamin-franklin-65_chess_chess-is-so-interesting-in-itself-as-not_1919712.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/088/benjamin-franklin-65_chess_chess-is-so-interesting-in-itself-as-not_1919712.png) > “Chess is so interesting in itself, as not to need the view of gain to induce engaging in it; and thence it is never played for money” [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Chess offers intrinsic intellectual pleasure without material incentive, encouraging pure strategic engagement. **In simple terms:** Chess is rewarding without money. Key Takeaway Play for love of the game. Themes intellectual play non‑materialism strategy Mood thoughtful calm Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - education - mental training - recreational clubs Key Concepts philosophy game theory Questions to Reflect On - Why play games without reward? - Can non‑monetary competition sustain motivation? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chess/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Playing chess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-chess/) ## Related quotes > [Never having played Chess before, it was most interesting to be playing the game with no pieces in front of me. But I still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mayhew/never-having-played-chess-before-it-was-most-interesting-to-be/) [Peter Mayhew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mayhew/) > [By playing at Chess then, we may learn... First: Foresight. Second: Circumspection. Third: Caution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/by-playing-at-chess-then-we-may-learn-first-foresight-second/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Coming out of college, you never really know how good you are, you've never played for money, you've put all your eggs in one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xander-schauffele/coming-out-of-college-you-never-really-know-how-good-you-are-you-ve/) [Xander Schauffele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xander-schauffele/) > [I never played for the money. I literally played for the love of the game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-taurasi/i-never-played-for-the-money-i-literally-played-for-the-love-of-the/) [Diana Taurasi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-taurasi/) > [I played 'Mortal Kombat' competitively in arcades. Played for money at 10, hustling the 20-year-olds. Five bucks on whoever wins. Which, at 10 years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brock-pierce/i-played-mortal-kombat-competitively-in-arcades-played-for-money-at/) [Brock Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brock-pierce/) > [By playing at Chess then, we may learn: First: Foresight... Second: Circumspection... Third: Caution...And lastly, we learn by Chess the habit of not being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/by-playing-at-chess-then-we-may-learn-first-foresight-second-2/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Playing chess is more athletic than artistic. Champions are more concerned with victory than beauty: it's war with occasionally graceful kicks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-shahade/playing-chess-is-more-athletic-than-artistic-champions-are-more/) [Jennifer Shahade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-shahade/) > [The physicist is like someone who's watching people playing chess and, after watching a few games, he may have worked out what the moves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/the-physicist-is-like-someone-who-s-watching-people-playing-chess-and/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [I picked it up just for relaxation. I can sit down and get into the game and escape that it's a big game tomorrow,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-johnson/i-picked-it-up-just-for-relaxation-i-can-sit-down-and-get-into-the/) [Larry Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-johnson/) > [I was a professional chess player in Romania, but only a small-time master. When I came to France, I continued playing chess for many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/i-was-a-professional-chess-player-in-romania-but-only-a-small-time/) [Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/) > [Lovely Saying Love is lyk a Boy Playing Carrom, Always Afraid of losing His QUEEN A Girl Playing Chess, Risking everything Just 2 Protect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhatsprincess/lovely-saying-love-is-lyk-a-boy-playing-carrom-always-afraid-of/) ZhatsPrincess > [I know people who have all the will in the world, but still can't play good Chess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-fischer/i-know-people-who-have-all-the-will-in-the-world-but-still-can-t-play/) [Bobby Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-fischer/) > [It is not enough to be a good player... you must also play well](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siegbert-tarrasch/it-is-not-enough-to-be-a-good-player-you-must-also-play-well/) [Siegbert Tarrasch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siegbert-tarrasch/) > [I spend hours playing chess because I find it so much fun. The day it stops being fun is the day I give up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magnus-carlsen/i-spend-hours-playing-chess-because-i-find-it-so-much-fun-the-day-it/) [Magnus Carlsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magnus-carlsen/) > [Play on both sides of the board is my favourite strategy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/play-on-both-sides-of-the-board-is-my-favourite-strategy/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) ## More by Benjamin Franklin > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Think of these things, whence you came, where you are going, and to whom you must account.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/think-of-these-things-whence-you-came-where-you-are-going-and-to-whom/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Give me 26 lead soldiers and I will conquer the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/give-me-26-lead-soldiers-and-i-will-conquer-the-world/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Flowers are the alphabet of angels, whereby they write on the hills and fields mysterious truths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/flowers-are-the-alphabet-of-angels-whereby-they-write-on-the-hills/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [In the affairs of this world, men are saved not by faith, but by the want of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/in-the-affairs-of-this-world-men-are-saved-not-by-faith-but-by-the/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [By heaven we understand a state of happiness infinite in degree, and endless in duration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/by-heaven-we-understand-a-state-of-happiness-infinite-in-degree-and/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [I have thought that wild flowers might be the alphabet of angels, — whereby they write on hills and fields mysterious truths, which it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/i-have-thought-that-wild-flowers-might-be-the-alphabet-of-angels/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [How do you become better tomorrow? By improving yourself, the world is made better. Be not afraid of growing too slowly. Be afraid of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/how-do-you-become-better-tomorrow-by-improving-yourself-the-world-is/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Little leaks sink the ship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/little-leaks-sink-the-ship/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Who is rich? He that is content. Who is that? Nobody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/who-is-rich-he-that-is-content-who-is-that-nobody/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“But on the whole, though I never arrived at the perfection I had been so ambitious of obtaining, but fell far short of it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/but-on-the-whole-though-i-never-arrived-at-the-perfection-i-had-been/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [The good particular men may do separately, in relieving the sick, is small, compared with what they may do collectively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/the-good-particular-men-may-do-separately-in-relieving-the-sick-is/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Love your Neighbour; yet don't pull down your Hedge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/love-your-neighbour-yet-don-t-pull-down-your-hedge/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Take counsel in wine, but resolve afterwards in water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/take-counsel-in-wine-but-resolve-afterwards-in-water/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [He that's secure is not safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/he-that-s-secure-is-not-safe/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) [Explore all 1,692 Benjamin Franklin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) ## More Chess quotes > [I have known many chess players, but among them there has been only one genius - Capablanca!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-lasker/i-have-known-many-chess-players-but-among-them-there-has-been-only/) [Emanuel Lasker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-lasker/) > [Real chessplayers think about chess more or less 24 hours a day. It is a passion and a fate that one has to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simen-agdestein/real-chessplayers-think-about-chess-more-or-less-24-hours-a-day-it-is/) Simen Agdestein > [It's interesting that the greatest minds of computer science, the founding fathers, like Alan Turing and Claude Shannon and Norbert Wiener, they all looked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/it-s-interesting-that-the-greatest-minds-of-computer-science-the/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [“Relationships are chess for women," he said. "They can see the whole board, plan way ahead. They're the queens, after all. We're the kings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-lippman/relationships-are-chess-for-women-he-said-they-can-see-the-whole/) [Laura Lippman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-lippman/) > [The election of Trump threw the chess board up. The pieces are all over the place. That's upsetting to a lot of people, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-rubin/the-election-of-trump-threw-the-chess-board-up-the-pieces-are-all/) [Dave Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-rubin/) > [Playing for complications is an extreme measure that a player should adopt only when he cannot find a clear and logical plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/playing-for-complications-is-an-extreme-measure-that-a-player-should/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) > [“the shadows. “Why do you think they invented chess?” “He’s got you there,” said the captain, following Fletcher. Jake jogged slightly to catch up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-blake/the-shadows-why-do-you-think-they-invented-chess-he-s-got-you-there/) [Russell Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-blake/) > [ \[Photographer Julian Wasser\] had this great idea that I should play chess naked with Marcel Duchamp and it seem to be such a great… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-babitz/photographer-julian-wasser-had-this-great-idea-that-i-should-play/) [Eve Babitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-babitz/) > [Chess is a good mistress but a bad master.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-abrahams/chess-is-a-good-mistress-but-a-bad-master/) [Gerald Abrahams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-abrahams/) > [I am not some sort of freak. I might be very good at chess but I'm just a normal person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magnus-carlsen/i-am-not-some-sort-of-freak-i-might-be-very-good-at-chess-but-i-m/) [Magnus Carlsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magnus-carlsen/) > [Some sacrifices are sound; the rest are mine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-tal/some-sacrifices-are-sound-the-rest-are-mine/) [Mikhail Tal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-tal/) > [My parents were very supportive of my chess. When I got home after a game of chess, having missed school or something, they always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viswanathan-anand/my-parents-were-very-supportive-of-my-chess-when-i-got-home-after-a/) [Viswanathan Anand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viswanathan-anand/) > [Amberley excelled at chess - a mark, Watson, of a scheming mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/amberley-excelled-at-chess-a-mark-watson-of-a-scheming-mind/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [In high school, my sister went out with the captain of the chess team. My parents loved him... They figured that any guy that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kiley/in-high-school-my-sister-went-out-with-the-captain-of-the-chess-team/) [Brian Kiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kiley/) > [The King is a fighting piece. Use it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-steinitz/the-king-is-a-fighting-piece-use-it/) [Wilhelm Steinitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-steinitz/) [Browse all 2,003 Chess quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chess/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Chess is so interesting in itself, as not to need the view of gain to induce engaging in it; and thence it is never played for money", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Benjamin Franklin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/chess-is-so-interesting-in-itself-as-not-to-need-the-view-of-gain-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Chess" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/chess-is-so-interesting-in-itself-as-not-to-need-the-view-of-gain-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/088/benjamin-franklin-65_chess_chess-is-so-interesting-in-itself-as-not_1919712.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/088/benjamin-franklin-65_chess_chess-is-so-interesting-in-itself-as-not_1919712.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/088/benjamin-franklin-65_chess_chess-is-so-interesting-in-itself-as-not_1919712.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Chess is so interesting in itself, as not to need the view of gain to induce engaging in it; and thence it…” — Benjamin Franklin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Benjamin Franklin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Chess is so interesting in itself,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/chess-is-so-interesting-in-itself-as-not-to-need-the-view-of-gain-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/chess-is-so-interesting-in-itself-as-not-to-need-the-view-of-gain-to/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```