--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A knowledge of combinations is the…" description: "\"A knowledge of combinations is the foundation of positional chess.\" — Richard Reti" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/494/richard-reti-31532_chess_a-knowledge-of-combinations-is-the-found_2951008.jpg" --- # A knowledge of combinations is the foundation of… ![“A knowledge of combinations is the foundation of positional chess.” quote by Richard Reti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/494/richard-reti-31532_chess_a-knowledge-of-combinations-is-the-found_2951008.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/494/richard-reti-31532_chess_a-knowledge-of-combinations-is-the-found_2951008.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/494/richard-reti-31532_chess_a-knowledge-of-combinations-is-the-found_2951008.jpg) > “A knowledge of combinations is the foundation of positional chess.” [Richard Reti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-reti/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding combinations is essential for positional chess play. **In simple terms:** Combinations are foundational in chess. Key Takeaway Study tactical patterns to improve. Themes chess strategy combinations Mood analytical focused Type educational strategic When to use this quote - training sessions - game analysis - coach instruction Key Concepts game theory pattern recognition Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance tactics and strategy? - What drills enhance combination skills? A Different Perspective Focusing only on combinations may neglect positional fundamentals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chess/) [Combination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/combination/) [Combinations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/combinations/) [Combinations Foundation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/combinations-foundation-4447903/) [Foundation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foundation/) [Knowledge Combinations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge-combinations-4447902/) [Positional Chess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positional-chess-1035971/) ## Related quotes > [We often hear the terms 'positional' and 'tactical' used as opposites. 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Because the characters I come up with are basically combinations of people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarnath-banerjee/people-are-infinitely-more-interesting-than-characters-that-i-come-up/) [Sarnath Banerjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarnath-banerjee/) > [If we ask for more and more material for the construction, i.e. more and more choice, we're likely to end up with a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/if-we-ask-for-more-and-more-material-for-the-construction-i-e-more/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [The most amazing combinations can result if you shuffle the pack enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bulgakov/the-most-amazing-combinations-can-result-if-you-shuffle-the-pack/) [Mikhail Bulgakov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-bulgakov/) > [Being a die-hard Knicks fan, I remember hunting down these orange-and-blue Nikes that they only released in England. And I used to hunt for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ronson/being-a-die-hard-knicks-fan-i-remember-hunting-down-these-orange-and/) [Mark Ronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ronson/) > [A thorough understanding of the typical mating continuations makes the most complicated sacrificial combinations leading up to them not only not difficult, but almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siegbert-tarrasch/a-thorough-understanding-of-the-typical-mating-continuations-makes/) [Siegbert Tarrasch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siegbert-tarrasch/) > [The range of circumstances in which it is possible to presuppose the presence of a combination is very limited. The presence of such circumstances…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-lasker/the-range-of-circumstances-in-which-it-is-possible-to-presuppose-the/) [Emanuel Lasker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-lasker/) > [After a great deal of discussion in Soviet literature about the correct definition of a combination, it was decided that from the point of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-kotov/after-a-great-deal-of-discussion-in-soviet-literature-about-the/) [Alexander Kotov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-kotov/) > [Tal's combinations often exert a sort of paralysing influence on the opponent's play. It would seem that the element of surprise plays a big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-taimanov/tal-s-combinations-often-exert-a-sort-of-paralysing-influence-on-the/) [Mark Taimanov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-taimanov/) > [I can remember a case where Capablanca worked out an impressive combination, but then chose to make a simple move in answer to which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-kotov/i-can-remember-a-case-where-capablanca-worked-out-an-impressive/) [Alexander Kotov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-kotov/) > [When I am trying to understand the method of winning in the endgame with two bishops against the knight, chess is a science, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashot-nadanian/when-i-am-trying-to-understand-the-method-of-winning-in-the-endgame/) [Ashot Nadanian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashot-nadanian/) > [In the wealthy industrialized nations, effective drug therapies against AIDS became available - AZT as early as 1987, then combinations of antiretroviral agents in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-gellman/in-the-wealthy-industrialized-nations-effective-drug-therapies/) [Barton Gellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-gellman/) > [People a lot of times have expectations for combinations, if you can throw something that they don't expect or throw something in a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benson-henderson/people-a-lot-of-times-have-expectations-for-combinations-if-you-can/) [Benson Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benson-henderson/) > [So when I started writing my own stuff, it was with a lot of combinations and time changes and power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harris/so-when-i-started-writing-my-own-stuff-it-was-with-a-lot-of/) [Steve Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harris/) > [Duke Ellington always had a style: original, clean with interesting color combinations. He had an artist's eye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/duke-ellington-always-had-a-style-original-clean-with-interesting/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) ## More by Richard Reti > [The majority of people imagine a chess master as being a townsman who passes his life in an atmosphere of smoke and play in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-reti/the-majority-of-people-imagine-a-chess-master-as-being-a-townsman-who/) [Richard Reti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-reti/) > [Chess is a fighting game which is purely intellectual and includes chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-reti/chess-is-a-fighting-game-which-is-purely-intellectual-and-includes/) [Richard Reti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-reti/) > [Most chess players know, thanks to the study of master games, that two bishops are stronger than two knights or than bishop and knight,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-reti/most-chess-players-know-thanks-to-the-study-of-master-games-that-two/) [Richard Reti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-reti/) > [No one has ever played these endgames with such elegant ease as Capablanca.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-reti/no-one-has-ever-played-these-endgames-with-such-elegant-ease-as/) [Richard Reti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-reti/) > [A knowledge of tactics is the foundation of positional play. This is a rule which has stood its test in chess history and one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-reti/a-knowledge-of-tactics-is-the-foundation-of-positional-play-this-is-a/) [Richard Reti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-reti/) > [It is the aim of the modern school, not to treat every position according to one general law, but according to the principle inherent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-reti/it-is-the-aim-of-the-modern-school-not-to-treat-every-position/) [Richard Reti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-reti/) > [The essential disadvantage of the isolated pawn ... lies not in the pawn itself, but in the square in front of the pawn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-reti/the-essential-disadvantage-of-the-isolated-pawn-lies-not-in-the-pawn/) [Richard Reti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-reti/) > [The pleasure to be derived from a chess combination lie in the feeling that a human mind is behind the game, dominating the inanimate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-reti/the-pleasure-to-be-derived-from-a-chess-combination-lie-in-the/) [Richard Reti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-reti/) > [The scheme of a game is played on positional lines; the decision of it, as a rule, is effected by combinations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-reti/the-scheme-of-a-game-is-played-on-positional-lines-the-decision-of-it/) [Richard Reti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-reti/) > [In open positions the safety of the King should be the first consideration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-reti/in-open-positions-the-safety-of-the-king-should-be-the-first/) [Richard Reti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-reti/) > [Chess was Capablanca's mother tongue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-reti/chess-was-capablanca-s-mother-tongue/) [Richard Reti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-reti/) > [It is a profound mistake to imagine mistake to imagine that the art of combination depends only on natural talent, and that it cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-reti/it-is-a-profound-mistake-to-imagine-mistake-to-imagine-that-the-art/) [Richard Reti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-reti/) > [It is a delight to watch a young and gifted chess player. To him have come no sinister experiences; to him continual carping care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-reti/it-is-a-delight-to-watch-a-young-and-gifted-chess-player-to-him-have/) [Richard Reti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-reti/) > [Those chess lovers who ask me how many moves I usually calculate in advance, when making a combination, are always astonished when I reply,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-reti/those-chess-lovers-who-ask-me-how-many-moves-i-usually-calculate-in/) [Richard Reti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-reti/) > [We perceive after a careful consideration of the evolution of the chess mind that such evolution has gone on, in general, in a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-reti/we-perceive-after-a-careful-consideration-of-the-evolution-of-the/) [Richard Reti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-reti/) [Explore all 16 Richard Reti quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-reti/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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": "A knowledge of combinations is the foundation of positional chess.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Reti" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-reti/a-knowledge-of-combinations-is-the-foundation-of-positional-chess/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Chess" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-reti/a-knowledge-of-combinations-is-the-foundation-of-positional-chess/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/494/richard-reti-31532_chess_a-knowledge-of-combinations-is-the-found_2951008.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/494/richard-reti-31532_chess_a-knowledge-of-combinations-is-the-found_2951008.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/494/richard-reti-31532_chess_a-knowledge-of-combinations-is-the-found_2951008.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A knowledge of combinations is the foundation of positional chess.” — Richard Reti", "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": "Richard Reti", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-reti/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A knowledge of combinations is the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-reti/a-knowledge-of-combinations-is-the-foundation-of-positional-chess/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-reti/a-knowledge-of-combinations-is-the-foundation-of-positional-chess/#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 } } ] } ```