"Keep them starved"
"Keep them blind"
"Keep them stupid"
Capablanca vs Marshall 1918
Dr. Emanuel Lasker was reigning world champion at the time of this match. Marshall made an attempt at the title in 1907 losing eight games to Lasker without a single win. Negotiations between Capablanca and Lasker for a title match had been ongoing and unsuccesful since 1911. Capablanca would eventually claim the title but not before Lasker left a legacy as an eloquent writer about the game, one of the strongest players in history, and world champion for 27 years.
Lasker was a strong proponent of "positional play." Unlike tactics that look for quick winning combinations, positional play is about understanding the basic structure of the board and making claims on territory in the name of building a structural superiority even without immediate tactical benefits. For Lasker it was almost an act of faith—if the position was strong, the tactical combinations would make themselves available. Although often dismissed as the weakest and most expendable of the pieces, the pawn is foundation of positional play.