--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Having spent 200 hours on the above, the…" description: "\"Having spent 200 hours on the above, the young player, even if he possesses no special talent for chess, is likely to be among those two or three thous..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbf/emanuel-lasker-13485_achieve_having-spent-200-hours-on-the-above-the_1661503.png" --- # Having spent 200 hours on the above, the young player… ![“Having spent 200 hours on the above, the young player, even if he possesses no special talent for chess, is likely to be among those two or three thousand chessplayers [who play on a par with a master]. There are, however, a quarter of a million chessplayers who annually spend no fewer than 200…” quote by Emanuel Lasker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbf/emanuel-lasker-13485_achieve_having-spent-200-hours-on-the-above-the_1661503.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbf/emanuel-lasker-13485_achieve_having-spent-200-hours-on-the-above-the_1661503.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbf/emanuel-lasker-13485_achieve_having-spent-200-hours-on-the-above-the_1661503.png) > “Having spent 200 hours on the above, the young player, even if he possesses no special talent for chess, is likely to be among those two or three thousand chessplayers \[who play on a par with a master\]. There are, however, a quarter of a million chessplayers who annually spend no fewer than 200 hours on chess without making any progress. Without going into any further calculations, I can assert with a high degree of certainty that nowadays we achieve only a fraction of what we are capable of achieving.” [Emanuel Lasker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-lasker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Extensive practice yields mastery for some, yet many invest time without improvement, highlighting limits of effort alone. **In simple terms:** Practice alone isn’t enough for mastery. Key Takeaway Combine practice with effective learning. Themes chess skill development effort talent learning Mood reflective analytical Type educational motivational When to use this quote - coaching - training programs - self‑assessment - goal setting Key Concepts Deliberate practice skill plateau growth mindset Questions to Reflect On - What methods improve practice quality? - How does talent influence learning curves? A Different Perspective Talent and quality of practice affect outcomes; time alone may not guarantee progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Certainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty/) [Chess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chess/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) [Special talents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/special-talents/) [Talent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talent/) ## Related quotes > [Maybe if I didn't have the talent in chess I'd find the talent in something else. The only thing I know is that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magnus-carlsen/maybe-if-i-didn-t-have-the-talent-in-chess-i-d-find-the-talent-in/) [Magnus Carlsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magnus-carlsen/) > [The concept of 'talent' is formed under completely abstract criteria, having nothing in common with reality. 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Curiousity has its own reason for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/i-have-no-special-talent-i-am-only-passionately-curious-the-important/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Each of us is born brilliant. Then we spend the rest of our lives having our brilliance buried by people, circumstances, and experiences. Eventually,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-t-bailey/each-of-us-is-born-brilliant-then-we-spend-the-rest-of-our-lives/) [Simon T. 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It’s about the willingness to play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/creativity-is-not-the-possession-of-some-special-talent-it-s-about/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [“We all have our own special talents and gifts that make us unique, but because they’re part of us, we can have a hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-hallis/we-all-have-our-own-special-talents-and-gifts-that-make-us-unique-but/) [Tina Hallis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-hallis/) ## More by Emanuel Lasker > [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/) > [In mathematics, if I find a new approach to a problem, another mathematician might claim that he has a better, more elegant solution. 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