Yī zhāo bùshèn, mǎnpán jiē shū.

一著不慎, 滿盤皆輸。

Lit One incautious move spoils the whole [chess] game.

Fig One careless move and you lose the whole game.

Note [Used, e.g., by Mao Zedong in his Problems of Strategy in China's Revolutionary War; see also bùpà qiān zhāo and qí cuò yī zhāo above.]

Topics CARELESSNESS CAUTION CHESS Mao Zedong MISTAKES Problems of Strategy STRATEGY