What do you think of this rather spiritual quote as a philosophy?

[scooter, (root4God)]

Victor Kortchnoi
Grandmaster Champion Chess Player
Author of chess instruction books
http://www.chessclub.com/
Transcribed, as best I could, from a live video:

“They say I’ve written the books with the title and they say, chess is my life. Ya, I’ve read, Finally the only one I can do is chess, is to lose a game. Then it is quite essential, I think, what for I live. If people cannot learn from my chess, if I myself having learned a lot, not able to play no more game, what shall I do?”

“Ya, I had in my life difficult days. Just a couple of days ago I remembered, being nineteen years old, first time I played in a strong tournament. And I made the third game. I made a draw and then I lost seven games in a row. The year 1950, being nineteen years old, it was a difficult experience, when he says, “Somebody is wounded.” Ya, when somebody is the first one, first time he is wounded, it is very painful. It is such difficulty for the whole body when somebody is wounded for the first time. When somebody is wounded for the second, for the tenth time, does it become better? suddenly?”

“I don’t believe he who has many times suffered failures, or little difficulties, after the tenth time, he will recover faster, he will become philosopher. There was the first time, the tenth time, a philosopher. But physically it was always difficulties, and will remain.”

Paraphrased in my English, he would say:

They say I’ve written books with titles and that chess is my whole life. Yes, I’ve even read, “In the end, the only play I have is to lose the game.” Then I think it is quite essential why I live. If people cannot learn from my chess, if I myself having learned a lot, am not able to play the game. what else shall I do?

Yes, I’ve had difficult times in my life. Just a few days ago, I remembered, when I was nineteen years old, it was the first I played in a strong tournament. And I got to the third level. I won a draw and then I lost seven games in a row. In 1950, when I was only nineteen years old, it was a difficult exprerience when someone said, “Oh, somebody is wounded.”
Yes, when it is the first time somebody is wounded, it is very painful. It is a painful difficulty felt through the whole body when somebody is wounded for the first time.
When somebody is wounded for the second, or for the tenth time, each time does the wound become better? in a moment?

I don’t believe that he who has many times suffered failures, or little difficulties, will recover faster after the tenth time. He will only become a philosopher. There is a first-time, tenth-time, philosophy that things get better with time. But physically, it was always the same difficulties, and the same open wounds will remain the same.

Victor Kortchnoi
Grandmaster Champion Chess Player and author of chess instruction books http://www.chessclub.com/