--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Chess hasn't really influenced my…" description: "\"Chess hasn't really influenced my literature. It's true, there's a character in Pigeon Post, an old chess player; but it's more of a wink, a self-portr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/909/dumitru-tepeneag-22841_books_chess-hasn-t-really-influenced-my-litera_2102940.jpg" --- # Chess hasn't really influenced my literature. It's true… ![“Chess hasn't really influenced my literature. It's true, there's a character in Pigeon Post, an old chess player; but it's more of a wink, a self-portrait and not much more.” quote by Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/909/dumitru-tepeneag-22841_books_chess-hasn-t-really-influenced-my-litera_2102940.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/909/dumitru-tepeneag-22841_books_chess-hasn-t-really-influenced-my-litera_2102940.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/909/dumitru-tepeneag-22841_books_chess-hasn-t-really-influenced-my-litera_2102940.jpg) > “Chess hasn't really influenced my literature. It's true, there's a character in Pigeon Post, an old chess player; but it's more of a wink, a self-portrait and not much more.” [Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author acknowledges chess’s minor role in his work, serving as a subtle personal reference rather than a central theme. **In simple terms:** Chess appears only as a brief personal nod. Key Takeaway Use subtle references wisely. Themes literature self‑reference games influence Mood introspective lighthearted Type literary personal When to use this quote - novel writing - personal anecdotes - thematic depth Key Concepts authorial intent character development intertextuality Questions to Reflect On - Why include brief allusions? - Do they enrich or distract? A Different Perspective May understate chess’s symbolic potential. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Chess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chess/) [Chess Hasn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chess-hasn-4209742/) [Chess players](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chess-players/) [Influenced Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influenced-literature-1585622/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Old Chess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-chess-1044351/) [Pigeon Post](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pigeon-post-4209743/) [Pigeons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pigeons/) [Player](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/player/) [Portraits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/portraits/) [Posts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/posts/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self portrait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-portrait/) ## Related quotes > [One must always be careful of books,' said Tessa, 'and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us.' 'I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/one-must-always-be-careful-of-books-said-tessa-and-what-is-inside-2/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Only the very weak-minded refuse to be influenced by literature and poetry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/only-the-very-weak-minded-refuse-to-be-influenced-by-literature-and/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Probably the biggest influence on me, strange though it may sound, was the 70s, a decade of invention. Growing up then had a huge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vic-reeves/probably-the-biggest-influence-on-me-strange-though-it-may-sound-was/) [Vic Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vic-reeves/) > [I love chess, and I didnt invent Fischerandom chess to destroy chess. I invented Fischerandom chess to keep chess going. Because I consider the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-fischer/i-love-chess-and-i-didnt-invent-fischerandom-chess-to-destroy-chess-i/) [Bobby Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-fischer/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bronstein/it-would-be-as-naive-to-study-the-song-of-the-nightingale-as-it-would/) [David Bronstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bronstein/) > [The old chess is too limited. Imagine playing cards, black jack for example, and every time the dealer has the same starting hand you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-fischer/the-old-chess-is-too-limited-imagine-playing-cards-black-jack-for/) [Bobby Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-fischer/) > [I love chess, and I didn't invent Fischerandom chess to destroy chess. I invented Fischerandom chess to keep chess going. Because I consider the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-fischer/i-love-chess-and-i-didn-t-invent-fischerandom-chess-to-destroy-chess/) [Bobby Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-fischer/) > [You know I'm finished with the old chess because it's all just a lot of book and memorization you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-fischer/you-know-i-m-finished-with-the-old-chess-because-it-s-all-just-a-lot/) [Bobby Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-fischer/) > [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/) > [Seeing that I am so busily occupied with myself just now, I want to try to paint my self-portrait in writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/seeing-that-i-am-so-busily-occupied-with-myself-just-now-i-want-to/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [THING TO TRY: If you are asked to describe a suspect to a police sketch artist, describe in precise detail, the features of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/thing-to-try-if-you-are-asked-to-describe-a-suspect-to-a-police/) [Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/) > [Every job is a self portrait of a person who does it. Autograph your work with excellence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-job-is-a-self-portrait-of-a-person-who-does-it-autograph-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow. Every job is a self portrait of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-lombardi/unless-you-try-to-do-something-beyond-what-you-have-already-mastered/) [Vince Lombardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-lombardi/) > [You will regret that cell-phone self-portrait in the bathroom mirror one day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-will-regret-that-cell-phone-self-portrait-in-the-bathroom-mirror/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I love how the most insecure people on Facebook are the ones who post a new self portrait every 6 hours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-love-how-the-most-insecure-people-on-facebook-are-the-ones-who-post/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Dumitru Tepeneag > [The reader's impression is one of a dream - the only thing that's left upon waking is the memory of a melody at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/the-reader-s-impression-is-one-of-a-dream-the-only-thing-that-s-left/) [Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/) > [I had severed relations with the Romanian exiles who had become politically conservative and even extremely right wing; I was giving chess lessons to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/i-had-severed-relations-with-the-romanian-exiles-who-had-become/) [Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/) > [Since adolescence I've had a passion for Romantic Fantastique literature, which continued with Expressionism and culminated with the genius of Kafka. It's that German…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/since-adolescence-i-ve-had-a-passion-for-romantic-fantastique/) [Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/) > [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/) > [There is no one 'best set-up', there are many - you can get to mate in endless ways. And - don't forget! - in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/there-is-no-one-best-set-up-there-are-many-you-can-get-to-mate-in/) [Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/) > [It's true that in Romanian I feel more relaxed, as if I'm wearing slippers...but I came to this decision primarily for other reasons: I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/it-s-true-that-in-romanian-i-feel-more-relaxed-as-if-i-m-wearing/) [Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/) > [Vain Art of the Fugue was the only one of my novels to be met with relative public recognition: it was nominated for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/vain-art-of-the-fugue-was-the-only-one-of-my-novels-to-be-met-with/) [Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/) > [My first book published in France was translated and titled Exercices d'Attente in 1972. It was a collection of short works written and published…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/my-first-book-published-in-france-was-translated-and-titled-exercices/) [Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/) > [Our Onirisme movement was a synthesis between the Romantic Fantastique and Surrealism. Dimov and I rejected automatic writing. We loved surrealist painters: Chirico, Magritte,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/our-onirisme-movement-was-a-synthesis-between-the-romantic/) [Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/) > [It's not the subject of narration that interests me, but the structure. That's why I stay in touch with my old works, which I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/it-s-not-the-subject-of-narration-that-interests-me-but-the-structure/) [Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/) > [On the other hand, Surrealism has been a part of Romanian literature since forever. Even before Tzara, who was originally Romanian, we had Urmuz,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/on-the-other-hand-surrealism-has-been-a-part-of-romanian-literature/) [Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/) > [Seine et Danube was launched in 2003 with the help of Romanian authorities who had finally realized the necessity of promoting literature and Romanian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/seine-et-danube-was-launched-in-2003-with-the-help-of-romanian/) [Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/) > [After multiple trips to Paris and being accused of participating in 'heinous' activities in regard to the state, I found my Romanian nationality revoked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/after-multiple-trips-to-paris-and-being-accused-of-participating-in/) [Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/) > [As my editor had no desire to frighten readers with the Romanian pages, he had them translated and published the whole thing in French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/as-my-editor-had-no-desire-to-frighten-readers-with-the-romanian/) [Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/) > [For me, literature is the daughter of music: a bit heavy and more level headed than its mother. Literature submits to the same principles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/for-me-literature-is-the-daughter-of-music-a-bit-heavy-and-more-level/) [Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/) [Explore all 27 Dumitru Tepeneag quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! 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There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) [Markus Herz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Chess hasn't really influenced my literature. 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