10 Funny Chess Sayings

Being an old game, chess has been played by people in various parts of the world and at different times in history. There have always been good and bad players in chess, and some of their impressions, opinions, and even in-game comments were remarkably curious.

While some may have been considered offensive by opponents, which may happen when a player is losing his or her mind with every move on the board, some others have been known to cause a few laughs.

Despite the fact that chess is normally played in a quiet and sober environment, witty comments are not so rare. When, however, chess is taken to the streets, it becomes something entirely different.

Hustlers even win matches by shaking their opponents’ confidence and causing them to make wrong moves. Among disrespectful and witty moves, there are also the funny ones, which have normally been responded to with smiles and laughs.

What Are Some Funny Chess Sayings?

Starting with the eternal Bobby Fischer, who once said, “I play honestly, and I play to win. If I lose, I take my medicine,” and going to the famous ‘pawn and finger’ question, made during an online broadcast of a major match.

The question was delivered right after Reuben Fine said, “I’d rather have a pawn than a finger,” to which Grandmaster Roman Dzindzichashvili wittily answered, “It all depends: which pawn and which finger?”

Fischer’s statement clearly refers to his opinion on playing chess. Most people may think chess players have no psychological problems due to their renowned intelligence levels, but the Grandmaster had no difficulty in recurring to his pills as an explanation for the rare losses he would suffer.

The pawn and finger question, on the other hand, was an in-game comment exchange made by two outstanding players that were being watched by over 40 professional chess players.

The question fired by Dzindzichashvili took Fine by surprise and could have, If not for the great player he is, destabilized him.

More Chess Quotes

Some quotes remain unknown as to their source, but what they lack in identification, they compensate in fun:

• “He had a good memory for bad openings and a bad memory for good ones.”
• “The best part about playing chess is watching your opponent’s face when they realize they’ve made a huge mistake.”
• “I always get my best ideas for chess when I’m supposed to be doing something else.”

And the famous ‘getting it off my chest’ confessions “Chess is the only game where a pawn can become a queen, and a queen can become a sacrificial lamb.” and “Chess is a lot like life. You start out with a plan, and then everything falls apart.”.

So, even though chess carries the burden of being an abstemious and austere game, the very high intelligence of players is known to cause outbursts of laughs even in official tournament settings.

Therefore, remember that “I never lose at chess. I either win, or I learn a really good lesson.”