--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The sign of a great Master is his ability…" description: "\"The sign of a great Master is his ability to win a won game quickly and painlessly\" — Irving Chernev" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/009/irving-chernev-46929_ability_the-sign-of-a-great-master-is-his-abilit_1734272.png" --- # The sign of a great Master is his ability to win a won… ![“The sign of a great Master is his ability to win a won game quickly and painlessly” quote by Irving Chernev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/009/irving-chernev-46929_ability_the-sign-of-a-great-master-is-his-abilit_1734272.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/009/irving-chernev-46929_ability_the-sign-of-a-great-master-is-his-abilit_1734272.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/009/irving-chernev-46929_ability_the-sign-of-a-great-master-is-his-abilit_1734272.png) > “The sign of a great Master is his ability to win a won game quickly and painlessly” [Irving Chernev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-chernev/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A true master wins swiftly and effortlessly, showing skill and confidence. **In simple terms:** Masters win quickly and easily. Key Takeaway Cultivate efficiency and confidence in competition. Themes competition skill mastery efficiency confidence Mood inspirational reflective Type strategic motivational When to use this quote - Sports tournaments - business negotiations - chess matches - project deadlines - personal challenges Key Concepts Game theory psychology of winning strategic execution Questions to Reflect On - When is a swift victory less valuable? - How does ease of win affect perceived achievement? A Different Perspective Winning quickly may sacrifice depth or learning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Ability Win](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability-win-635911/) [Chess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chess/) [Game Quickly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game-quickly-1459079/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Great Master](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-master-488728/) [Master Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/master-ability-1459078/) [Masters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/masters/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/) [Won Game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/won-game-338515/) ## Related quotes > [The brilliant thing about baseball is you're never really out of it - things can turn around in this game so quickly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wright/the-brilliant-thing-about-baseball-is-you-re-never-really-out-of-it-2/) [David Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wright/) > [It's always difficult, when you have such a quick turnaround and a long flight, to try to get ready for a game so quickly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-dempsey/it-s-always-difficult-when-you-have-such-a-quick-turnaround-and-a/) [Clint Dempsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-dempsey/) > [The hardest game to win is a won game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-lasker/the-hardest-game-to-win-is-a-won-game/) [Emanuel Lasker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-lasker/) > [No One has ever won a Game of 'Chess' . By moving Forward Only . Sometimes U have to move . Backwards to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/no-one-has-ever-won-a-game-of-chess-by-moving-forward-only-sometimes/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [I think I have that ability to win the ball back quickly when we lose it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ander-herrera/i-think-i-have-that-ability-to-win-the-ball-back-quickly-when-we-lose/) [Ander Herrera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ander-herrera/) > [No matter what people might think I am confident in my ability to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-korean-zombie/no-matter-what-people-might-think-i-am-confident-in-my-ability-to-win/) [The Korean Zombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-korean-zombie/) > [I would say that my strength is my speed and my ability to win head balls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-purdy/i-would-say-that-my-strength-is-my-speed-and-my-ability-to-win-head/) [Steve Purdy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-purdy/) > [The hallmark of a great captain is the ability to win the toss, at the right time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richie-benaud/the-hallmark-of-a-great-captain-is-the-ability-to-win-the-toss-at-the/) [Richie Benaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richie-benaud/) > [I think I have the ability to win any contest I enter. As long as I stay healthy and keep having fun with my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-goepper/i-think-i-have-the-ability-to-win-any-contest-i-enter-as-long-as-i/) [Nick Goepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-goepper/) > [It is funny, I have the ability to win a stage in the Tour de France and I do win races that are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-bennett/it-is-funny-i-have-the-ability-to-win-a-stage-in-the-tour-de-france/) [Sam Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-bennett/) > [When you defend and rebound and you trust the pass on the offensive end, you're going to have the ability to win a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-vogel/when-you-defend-and-rebound-and-you-trust-the-pass-on-the-offensive/) [Frank Vogel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-vogel/) > [There's no better feeling than coming off the pitch knowing you've won the game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-young/there-s-no-better-feeling-than-coming-off-the-pitch-knowing-you-ve/) [Ashley Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-young/) > [We know we should have won that game. But that doesn't mean we look at it as a revenge game. It means we think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillip-daniels/we-know-we-should-have-won-that-game-but-that-doesn-t-mean-we-look-at/) [Phillip Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillip-daniels/) > [“I've come to realize that life is neither a battle nor a game to be won, it is a game nonetheless, but to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-uchendu/i-ve-come-to-realize-that-life-is-neither-a-battle-nor-a-game-to-be/) [Val Uchendu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-uchendu/) > [“No rugby player, no matter how talented, has ever won a game by playing alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-hunt-davis/no-rugby-player-no-matter-how-talented-has-ever-won-a-game-by-playing/) [Ben Hunt-Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-hunt-davis/) ## More by Irving Chernev > [On the chessboard, if nowhere else, justice does triumph.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-chernev/on-the-chessboard-if-nowhere-else-justice-does-triumph/) [Irving Chernev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-chernev/) > [Every Chess master was once a beginner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-chernev/every-chess-master-was-once-a-beginner/) [Irving Chernev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-chernev/) > [The greatest compliment one can pay a master is to compare him with Capablanca.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-chernev/the-greatest-compliment-one-can-pay-a-master-is-to-compare-him-with/) [Irving Chernev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-chernev/) > [Play the move that forces the win in the simplest way. Leave the brilliancies to Alekhine, Keres and Tal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-chernev/play-the-move-that-forces-the-win-in-the-simplest-way-leave-the/) [Irving Chernev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-chernev/) > [Chess is not for the timid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-chernev/chess-is-not-for-the-timid/) [Irving Chernev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-chernev/) > [The best initial move for white is 1. P-K4.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-chernev/the-best-initial-move-for-white-is-1-p-k4/) [Irving Chernev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-chernev/) > [If once a man delays castling and his king remains in the center, files will open up against him, bishops sweep the board, rooks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-chernev/if-once-a-man-delays-castling-and-his-king-remains-in-the-center/) [Irving Chernev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-chernev/) [Explore all 8 Irving Chernev quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-chernev/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. 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Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The sign of a great Master is his ability to win a won game quickly and painlessly", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Irving Chernev" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-chernev/the-sign-of-a-great-master-is-his-ability-to-win-a-won-game-quickly/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-chernev/the-sign-of-a-great-master-is-his-ability-to-win-a-won-game-quickly/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/009/irving-chernev-46929_ability_the-sign-of-a-great-master-is-his-abilit_1734272.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/009/irving-chernev-46929_ability_the-sign-of-a-great-master-is-his-abilit_1734272.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/009/irving-chernev-46929_ability_the-sign-of-a-great-master-is-his-abilit_1734272.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The sign of a great Master is his ability to win a won game quickly and painlessly” — Irving Chernev", "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": "Irving Chernev", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-chernev/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The sign of a great Master...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-chernev/the-sign-of-a-great-master-is-his-ability-to-win-a-won-game-quickly/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-chernev/the-sign-of-a-great-master-is-his-ability-to-win-a-won-game-quickly/#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 } } ] } ```