After losing two games in quick succession to my wife, my first thought was that she must be really good at chess. I then tried my hand online, and lost ten more games in a row. Later that week, I lost two more to my mom. That’s when it finally dawned on me that I’m really bad at this game. The fact that I lost most of my games to self made blunders, made it all the more frustrating.

I was also curious to get better at it. Even if I couldn’t win, I wanted to at least lose in a better way. After referring a handful of online resources and practicing several games, I was able to identify 6 major principles that separated the good players from bad.

Also, I couldn’t help but notice the parallels between these chess strategies and real life. These lessons may not guarantee you an immediate win, but will definitely improve both your game and life over the long term.

Move Intentionally

Every move you make in chess must have an intent. You should be either attacking your opponent or defending and improving your own positions at all times.

Mindless movements will cost you precious time, while your opponent maneuvers on you to capture important squares. Slowly but eventually, you’ll be forced into bad positions with nowhere else to go.

As in chess, you get to make a new move everyday in life. Are you moving intentionally? Or are you slowly letting life maneuver on you?

Castle your King

When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.

African Proverb

The King is the most important piece of the game. Once it is cornered by the enemy, you lose. “Castling” is a chess move which helps you place your most valuable piece i.e King into a safer position, away from the center and protected on all sides by Pawns and a Rook.

It also brings your Rook into an active position at the center. Castling needs to be done as early as possible in the game.

Our first priority must always be to protect the things that are the most important to us. Be it our relationships, finances or health, we often tend to neglect our vulnerabilities until it’s too late.

Once you set up defenses around the most precious things in life, you can be free of worrying about everything else that happens outside it.

Think a Step Ahead

A good chess player always thinks two to three steps ahead. He resists the urge to pounce upon an immediate opportunity, and considers the second, and third level consequences of his actions.

Maybe it’s a trap by the opponent, or worse, he may end up opening his own defenses by making the move. Thinking ahead may cost you some time, but it’s well worth the price. This is analogous to the role of instant gratification in our daily lives.

It is hard to resist the lure of instant gratification. But those who do, end up in a better place. 

There’s a famous 1972 study on delayed gratification by Stanford University called the “ Marshmallow Experiment ”. A group of children were offered a choice between one immediate reward or two rewards if they resist the urge to consume for fifteen minutes. Following up on the subjects, it was found that those who chose delayed gratification did better in other aspects of life as well.

We may not be able to resist all the temptations life throws at us. But, just being aware of it and waiting for a day or two before making any major decisions can help us look at the second, third order consequences. Just stop to ask yourself “ And then what happens? “

Detach

Nothing in life is as important as you think it is while you are thinking about it

Daniel Kahneman

My biggest weakness in chess is that I tend to focus too much on my own moves, failing to recognize my opponent’s strategy. It was an eye opener for me when I first realized this.

The only way to avoid getting blindsided is to take a step back. Look at the full board, not just where most of your attention is. You’d be surprised to notice all the checks, threats, and captures you’d have otherwise missed.

Don’t get too caught up in your own thoughts or actions. Be it your job or business, once in a while, take a step back to notice what’s happening around you. It’ll help you recognize new possibilities.

Don’t Give Up

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two impostors just the same

Rudyard Kipling

More often than I’d like to admit, I used to resign the game when I lost most of my material. Losing my queen early on always gets me riling. I failed to see the point in playing any further and used to give up.

But one particular game changed my mind. With just a King and few pawns, I managed to draw the game. Another time, I even ended up winning, despite losing most pieces. More importantly, I enjoyed playing that way.

The lesson here is not that you should keep playing, so that you might win. It’s to learn that winning or losing doesn’t matter, when playing by itself can be fun.

Whether in life or in chess, as long as you keep playing, you don’t really lose.

Trade Wisely

Every capture in chess should be viewed as a trade. You have to look at what you gain versus what you lose, be it a piece or a position. There’s a well established point system in chess to help you evaluate your trades.

You should only attack, if it helps you end in a trade surplus. For example, trading your Bishop for a Rook is a good idea, while losing your Knight for a Pawn is not.

When we give someone our time, we actually give a portion of our life that we will never take back

Alexander

Every action you take in life is a trade. You pay with either money, time or knowledge. Always look at the opportunity cost i.e what you could’ve gained instead, before taking up any major assignment or project.

Summary

• Make every move with an underlying intent.
• Protect things that are most important to you.
• Ask “ And then what happens? “ before every making any decision.
• Detach and look around for better opportunities.
• Keep playing irrespective of your winning prospects.
• Evaluate every decision in terms of opportunity cost. 

After several days of practicing these principles, I’m now finally able to consistently beat one other person i.e my Mom. I still lose online on a daily basis. But I keep playing nonetheless.

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