The second line is the route to defeat

Alternative wording: The Line of Defeat is the second line.

This proverb applies to the situation where one is crawling along the second line. Other plays on the second line, such as footsweep, submarine or slide are not necessarily leading to defeat. Still, one has to make sure that such plays do not lead to crawling.

Driving it home  

This is an extreme example, but it shows how White gains more from his great wall than Black makes from his territory.

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See also:

• To crawl or not to crawl
• The fourth line is the line of victory