3 Life Lessons I’ve Learned From Playing 100 Intense Hours of Chess

Generalisable wisdom from the chessboard to business and life.

You are literally not allowed to do this, but it does look cool. // Image via Unsplash

We can blame the Queen’s Gambit.

Or maybe my dad sitting me on the floor when I was 8, and patiently explaining that no, the little pawns can’t take the other pawns after they’ve just moved.

Whatever the reason, I’m into chess. Both physical and virtual.

I’ve racked up 100+ hours of play.

Not enough time to be good (1000+ hours). Definitely not enough time to ever dream of becoming a Chess Grandmaster like Bobby Fisher or Magnus Carlsen (10,000+ hours + single-minded child prodigies).

But, you know. Enough time to know my way around the board.

And make my friends refuse to play me again until they train harder like we’re mortal rivals in a kung-fu movie.

Why Chess?

I wouldn’t invest this much time into a hobby unless I both i) enjoyed it, and ii) gained something of genuine value from it.

Q: What “genuine value” can you find in an 8x8 board and some pieces of wood?

A: Chess has changed the way I think about everything.