--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Your only task in the opening is to reach…" description: "\"Your only task in the opening is to reach a playable middlegame.\" — Lajos Portisch" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/515/lajos-portisch-111769_chess_your-only-task-in-the-opening-is-to-reac_1189449.png" --- # Your only task in the opening is to reach a playable… ![“Your only task in the opening is to reach a playable middlegame.” quote by Lajos Portisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/515/lajos-portisch-111769_chess_your-only-task-in-the-opening-is-to-reac_1189449.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/515/lajos-portisch-111769_chess_your-only-task-in-the-opening-is-to-reac_1189449.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/515/lajos-portisch-111769_chess_your-only-task-in-the-opening-is-to-reac_1189449.png) > “Your only task in the opening is to reach a playable middlegame.” Lajos Portisch ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. In chess, the opening’s purpose is to reach a playable middle game. **In simple terms:** Set up a usable position early. Key Takeaway Aim for a solid, flexible opening. Themes chess strategy opening theory game planning Mood educational inspirational Type Chess:1 Football:0 Inspirational:1 Opening:1 Tasks:1 Playable Middlegame:1 Opening Reach:0 Reach Playable:0 Playable:0 When to use this quote - tournament preparation - coaching - player development - null Key Concepts positional play midgame transition Questions to Reflect On - strategic - focused A Different Perspective What opening principles help you reach a playable middlegame?;How can you adapt if the opening goes wrong? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chess/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) ## Related quotes > [R.B.I.' is such a playable game. You can pick the game up and play right away without a crazy long learning curve, and that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mookie-betts/r-b-i-is-such-a-playable-game-you-can-pick-the-game-up-and-play-right/) [Mookie Betts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mookie-betts/) > [Our aim was to be playable on both AM and FM radio - something no one had done in a while.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-carmen/our-aim-was-to-be-playable-on-both-am-and-fm-radio-something-no-one/) [Eric Carmen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-carmen/) > [“You can’t play with everything that looks playable, I guess even a child knows that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/you-can-t-play-with-everything-that-looks-playable-i-guess-even-a/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [It must be clearly understood that Soviet players do not seek simple systems in the opening, but try to formulate opening systems in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-botvinnik/it-must-be-clearly-understood-that-soviet-players-do-not-seek-simple/) [Mikhail Botvinnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-botvinnik/) > [Unlike every other product that is now manufactured for the table, wine exists in as many varieties as there are people who produce it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/unlike-every-other-product-that-is-now-manufactured-for-the-table/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [For the first lesson, I want you to play over every column of Modern Chess Openings, including the footnotes. And for the next lesson,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-fischer/for-the-first-lesson-i-want-you-to-play-over-every-column-of-modern/) [Bobby Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-fischer/) > [Failing to open the center at the right moment - a common error by White in the Exchange Lopez - can allow Black an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-soltis/failing-to-open-the-center-at-the-right-moment-a-common-error-by/) [Andrew Soltis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-soltis/) > [Some pieces in the King's Indian appear on a 'special price' list: the dark square bishops are at the top of that list.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bronstein/some-pieces-in-the-king-s-indian-appear-on-a-special-price-list-the/) [David Bronstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bronstein/) > [Every great master will find it useful to have his own theory on the openings, which only he himself knows, a theory which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-botvinnik/every-great-master-will-find-it-useful-to-have-his-own-theory-on-the/) [Mikhail Botvinnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-botvinnik/) > [Sometimes at lectures I am asked: how would the champions of the last century play today? I think that, after making a hurried study…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bronstein/sometimes-at-lectures-i-am-asked-how-would-the-champions-of-the-last/) [David Bronstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bronstein/) > [All opening moves were the same, like in chess. You don't have to come up with anything new, there's no point, because you're both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-giordano/all-opening-moves-were-the-same-like-in-chess-you-don-t-have-to-come/) [Paolo Giordano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-giordano/) > [Just as it is wrong to work on chess by studying only the first 10-15 moves, so it is wrong to play one and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/efim-geller/just-as-it-is-wrong-to-work-on-chess-by-studying-only-the-first-10-15/) [Efim Geller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/efim-geller/) > [The choice of opening, whether to aim for quiet or risky play, depends not only on the style of a player, but also on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/efim-geller/the-choice-of-opening-whether-to-aim-for-quiet-or-risky-play-depends/) [Efim Geller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/efim-geller/) > [The best way to learn endings, as well as openings, is from the games of the masters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-raul-capablanca/the-best-way-to-learn-endings-as-well-as-openings-is-from-the-games/) [Jose Raul Capablanca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-raul-capablanca/) > [Playing black, I put great stake in the Ruy Lopez: I liked it, feel it, and understand it; in matches with Hjartarson and Timman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatoly-karpov/playing-black-i-put-great-stake-in-the-ruy-lopez-i-liked-it-feel-it/) [Anatoly Karpov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatoly-karpov/) ## More by Lajos Portisch > [To all players I can recommend the following: simplicity and economy. These are the characteristics of the opening systems of many great masters... A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lajos-portisch/to-all-players-i-can-recommend-the-following-simplicity-and-economy/) Lajos Portisch Explore all 2 Lajos Portisch quotes ## 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": "Your only task in the opening is to reach a playable middlegame.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lajos Portisch" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lajos-portisch/your-only-task-in-the-opening-is-to-reach-a-playable-middlegame/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Chess" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lajos-portisch/your-only-task-in-the-opening-is-to-reach-a-playable-middlegame/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/515/lajos-portisch-111769_chess_your-only-task-in-the-opening-is-to-reac_1189449.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/515/lajos-portisch-111769_chess_your-only-task-in-the-opening-is-to-reac_1189449.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/515/lajos-portisch-111769_chess_your-only-task-in-the-opening-is-to-reac_1189449.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Your only task in the opening is to reach a playable middlegame.” — Lajos Portisch", "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": "Lajos Portisch", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lajos-portisch/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Your only task in the opening...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lajos-portisch/your-only-task-in-the-opening-is-to-reach-a-playable-middlegame/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lajos-portisch/your-only-task-in-the-opening-is-to-reach-a-playable-middlegame/#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 } } ] } ```