“My first teachers were street players, guys who would hustle you, get in your head, break you down mentally before they did it over the board.”

“You would have to sit at the board and sweat and feel the fear of defeat or the nearness of victory to understand what goes through a player's head … If you think it's that easy, switch off the computer and try and figure out a few moves on your own.”

“I mean, like most guys, you carry around this girl in your head, who is exactly who you want her to be. The person you think you will love the most. And every girl you are with gets measured against this girl in your head.”

“If you let your head get too big, it'll break your neck.”

“There are many teachers who could ruin you. Before you know it you could be a pale copy of this teacher or that teacher. You have to evolve on your own.”

“Sometimes life, will get you down, break your heart, steal your crown.”

“What does it mean to pre-board? Do you get on before you get on?”

“You would be amazed by what you can give up, lose, or break, and yet still be a person who gets happy over brownies.”

“It didn’t feel, at that moment, like I was getting into something over my head. It never does, before you take the leap.”

“You have to learn all the big ideas in the key disciplines in a way that they're in a mental latticework in your head and you automatically use them for the rest of your life. If you do that, I solemnly promise you that one day you'll be walking down the street and you'll look to your right and left and you’ll think "my heavenly days, I'm now one of the few competent people in my whole age cohort."”