--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To play for a draw (at any rate with…" description: "\"To play for a draw (at any rate with White) is to some degree a crime against chess.\" — Mikhail Tal" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/mikhail-tal-16521_chess_to-play-for-a-draw-at-any-rate-with-whit_1861520.jpg" --- # To play for a draw (at any rate with White) is to some… ![“To play for a draw (at any rate with White) is to some degree a crime against chess.” quote by Mikhail Tal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/mikhail-tal-16521_chess_to-play-for-a-draw-at-any-rate-with-whit_1861520.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/mikhail-tal-16521_chess_to-play-for-a-draw-at-any-rate-with-whit_1861520.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/mikhail-tal-16521_chess_to-play-for-a-draw-at-any-rate-with-whit_1861520.jpg) > “To play for a draw (at any rate with White) is to some degree a crime against chess.” [Mikhail Tal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-tal/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Calls a draw with White a minor betrayal of competitive spirit, emphasizing the desire for decisive play. **In simple terms:** Draws are seen as minor betrayals in chess. Key Takeaway Aim for decisive victories. Themes competition integrity strategy Mood reflective strategic Type sports philosophical When to use this quote - tournament play - training - coaching - personal mindset Key Concepts sportsmanship risk assessment Questions to Reflect On - When is a draw a smart choice? - Does striving for wins compromise learning? A Different Perspective Some draws are strategic and necessary. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chess/) [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Crime Chess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime-chess-2510235/) [Degree Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/degree-crime-2510236/) [Degrees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/degrees/) [Draw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/draw/) [Draws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/draws/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Play Draw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play-draw-1027696/) [Playing chess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-chess/) [Rate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rate/) [White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white/) ## Related quotes > [We will never play for a draw, as it doesn't make sense. 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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/) > [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 Mikhail Tal > [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/) > [I think that the FIDE leaders have to reconsider the current drawing rules - their advantages aren't very clear, but their shortcomings are obvious.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-tal/i-think-that-the-fide-leaders-have-to-reconsider-the-current-drawing/) [Mikhail Tal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-tal/) > [Planning anything is hopeless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-tal/planning-anything-is-hopeless/) [Mikhail Tal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-tal/) > [I'd like to always be romantic in chess. 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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": "To play for a draw (at any rate with White) is to some degree a crime against chess.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mikhail Tal" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-tal/to-play-for-a-draw-at-any-rate-with-white-is-to-some-degree-a-crime/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Chess" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-tal/to-play-for-a-draw-at-any-rate-with-white-is-to-some-degree-a-crime/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/mikhail-tal-16521_chess_to-play-for-a-draw-at-any-rate-with-whit_1861520.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/mikhail-tal-16521_chess_to-play-for-a-draw-at-any-rate-with-whit_1861520.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/mikhail-tal-16521_chess_to-play-for-a-draw-at-any-rate-with-whit_1861520.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To play for a draw (at any rate with White) is to some degree a crime against chess.” — Mikhail Tal", "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": "Mikhail Tal", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-tal/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To play for a draw (at...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-tal/to-play-for-a-draw-at-any-rate-with-white-is-to-some-degree-a-crime/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-tal/to-play-for-a-draw-at-any-rate-with-white-is-to-some-degree-a-crime/#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 } } ] } ```