---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am fully and entirely concentrated on…"
description: "\"I am fully and entirely concentrated on the board. I never even consider my opponent's personality. So far as I am concerned, my opponent might as well..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adb/wilhelm-steinitz-23501_abstraction_i-am-fully-and-entirely-concentrated-on_2482022.png"
---

#  I am fully and entirely concentrated on the board. I never…

![“I am fully and entirely concentrated on the board. I never even consider my opponent's personality. So far as I am concerned, my opponent might as well be an abstraction or an automaton.” quote by Wilhelm Steinitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adb/wilhelm-steinitz-23501_abstraction_i-am-fully-and-entirely-concentrated-on_2482022.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adb/wilhelm-steinitz-23501_abstraction_i-am-fully-and-entirely-concentrated-on_2482022.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adb/wilhelm-steinitz-23501_abstraction_i-am-fully-and-entirely-concentrated-on_2482022.png)

> “I am fully and entirely concentrated on the board. I never even consider my opponent's personality. So far as I am concerned, my opponent might as well be an abstraction or an automaton.”

[Wilhelm Steinitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-steinitz/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Concentrating solely on the game, ignoring personal traits, treats the opponent as a neutral problem to solve.

**In simple terms:** Focus on the task, not the person.

Key Takeaway

Ignore personal distractions; focus on the game.

Themes

competition focus objectivity

Mood

focused detached

Type

sports philosophical

When to use this quote

- chess tournaments
- professional sports
- high pressure decisions

Key Concepts

psychology of sport game theory

Questions to Reflect On

- How does detachment affect performance?
- When is personal insight useful?

A Different Perspective

Over‑emphasis on detachment can reduce empathy and teamwork.

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[Abstraction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstraction/) [Boards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boards/) [Concerned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concerned/) [Concerned Opponent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concerned-opponent-874129/) [Consider Opponent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consider-opponent-874128/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Opponent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opponent/) [Opponent Abstraction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opponent-abstraction-874126/) [Opponent Personality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opponent-personality-874127/) [Opponents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opponents/) [Personality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personality/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/)

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[Alvin Ailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-ailey/)

## More by Wilhelm Steinitz

> [The King is a fighting piece. Use it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-steinitz/the-king-is-a-fighting-piece-use-it/)

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> [I may be an old lion, but I can still bite someone's hand off if he puts it in my mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-steinitz/i-may-be-an-old-lion-but-i-can-still-bite-someone-s-hand-off-if-he/)

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> [Chess is intellectual gymnastics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-steinitz/chess-is-intellectual-gymnastics/)

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> [When you have an advantage, you are obliged to attack; otherwise you are endangered to lose the advantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-steinitz/when-you-have-an-advantage-you-are-obliged-to-attack-otherwise-you/)

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> [No great player blundered oftener than I done. I was champion of the world for twenty-eight years because I was twenty years ahead of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-steinitz/no-great-player-blundered-oftener-than-i-done-i-was-champion-of-the/)

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> [Chess is so inspiring that I do not believe a good player is capable of having an evil thought during the game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-steinitz/chess-is-so-inspiring-that-i-do-not-believe-a-good-player-is-capable/)

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> [Everything in dancing is style, allusion, the essence of many thoughts and feelings. The abstraction of many moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-ailey/everything-in-dancing-is-style-allusion-the-essence-of-many-thoughts/)

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