Benjamin Franklin Quotes About Chess

• Life is a kind of Chess, with struggle, competition, good and ill events.

  Benjamin Franklin

  Struggle, Competition, Events

• By playing at Chess then, we may learn: First: Foresight... Second: Circumspection... Third: Caution...And lastly, we learn by Chess the habit of not being discouraged by present bad appearances in the state of our affairs, the habit of hoping for a favorable chance, and that of persevering in the secrets of resources

  Benjamin Franklin

  Secret, May, Playing Chess

• Chess is so interesting in itself, as not to need the view of gain to induce engaging in it; and thence it is never played for money

  Benjamin Franklin

  Views, Interesting, Needs

  George Walker, Benjamin Franklin, William Stopford Kenny (1841). “The chess player: by George Walker; to which are added the three games played at one and the same time by Philidor; sixty openings, mates and situations, by W. S. Kenny, with remarks, anecdotes, &c. &c., and an explanation of the round chess board”, p.7

• Chess teaches foresight, by having to plan ahead; vigilance, by having to keep watch over the whole chess board; caution, by having to restrain ourselves from making hasty moves; and finally, we learn from chess the greatest maxim in life - that even when everything seems to be going badly for us we should not lose heart, but always hoping for a change for the better, steadfastly continue searching for the solutions to our problems.

  Benjamin Franklin

  Moving, Heart, Watches

• You must not, when you have gained a victory, use any triumphing or insulting expressions, nor show too much of the pleasure you feel; but endeavour to console your adversary, and make him less dissatisfied with himself by every kind and civil expression that may be used with truth; such as, you understand the game better than I, but you are a little inattentive, or, you play too fast; or, you had the best of the game, but something happened to divert your thoughts, and that turned it in my favour.

  Benjamin Franklin

  Expression, Games, Play

  George Walker, Benjamin Franklin, William Stopford Kenny (1841). “The chess player: by George Walker; to which are added the three games played at one and the same time by Philidor; sixty openings, mates and situations, by W. S. Kenny, with remarks, anecdotes, &c. &c., and an explanation of the round chess board”, p.10

• The game of Chess is not merely an idle amusement; several very valuable qualities of the mind are to be acquired and strengthened by it, so as to become habits ready on all occasions, for life is a kind of chess.

  Benjamin Franklin

  Games, Chess Game, Mind

  François Danican Philidor, Sir William Jones, Benjamin Franklin (1824). “An Easy Introduction to the Game of Chess: Containing One Hundred Examples of Games and a Great Variety of Critical Situations and Conclusions ; Including the Whole of Philidor's Analysis with Copious Selections from Stamma, the Calabrois, &c”, p.237

• By playing at Chess then, we may learn... First: Foresight. Second: Circumspection. Third: Caution.

  Benjamin Franklin

  May, Playing Chess, Firsts

• Life is a kind of chess.

  Benjamin Franklin

  Chess, Kind, Life Is

  a Lady (is Nathaniel Cooke.), Benjamin Franklin (1859). “The A B C of Chess: Being a Concise and Easy Introduction to Chess, with Laws of the Game, Diagrams, &c”, p.48

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