The Abysmal Depths of Chess

  "The role played by space in the endgame is in fact much more straight-forward than in the middlegame … He who commands more space has more squares for his king, it’s as simple as that. More space means a potentially stronger king." Michael Stean

  "We see now the difference between strategy and attack. Attacks can be repulsed, but positional advantages do not suddenly vanish without trace." Michael Stean

  "Before the endgame God made the middlegame and an opening to lead into it." Michael Stean

  "Having successfully saddled Black with two isolated pawns Fischer now gives us a perfect lesson in how to go about taking full advantage of them." Michael Stean

  A sense of timing is the key to good defensive play. Here Petrosian accepts the weakening of his kingside pawns as he realises that he can thereby completely repulse the attack. Michael Stean