Is life a series of chess games?

 Is life a series of a chess games? If indeed it is true, that every person is a part of multiple chess games being played simultaneously their roles in each game would vary. In some instances, they are the focal point of the game. In other words, they are the king. In other instances, they are just one of the supporting pieces. In some games they might be a more influential piece like a queen, bishop, knight or rook. In other games their role might be so diminished that they are simply a pawn in the game.

If life is just a series of chess games, then what makes one person better than another person at winning in life? Is it possible that the most successful people in life are really just great chess players?  In chess the best players can play multiple games simultaneously. Imagine a chess champion playing against 600 simultaneous opponents. Let’s say he wins 576 games, drawing only 16 games and losing eight in a simultaneous exhibition.

The ability to manage and make decisions simultaneously for multiple situations in life is crucial to winning. If you maximize your wins and limit your losses, you tend to come out on top. A person that refines their ability to recognize opportunities in life and improves in their ability to engage them will create a positive momentum in their life. 

It is important to note that people who win in the game of chess and people that win in the game of life have the ability to multi-task or play multiple games simultaneously. This is done by choice! They are confident in their ability to engage on multiple fronts, and they understand that sometimes they will lose. They simply focus on winning more than they lose.

Remember, the people winning in life play multiple games simultaneously by choice. In reality, the people that are not winning in life are still involved in multiple games simultaneously. However, they are not involved by choice. They are simply pawns in many games where they are waiting around to be sacrificed.

Winning in chess and in life requires a strategy. In chess and in life there is an infinite number of moves and outcomes. In a chess game there are over 288 billion different possible positions after each player has moved four times.  

That means that an initial strategy in a chess game or life is only a defined strategy at the very beginning of the game. As the game evolves so must the strategy. Therefore, an initial strategy can only go so far before it must morph into something new.

Developing a winning strategy requires the ability to recognize new circumstances and the willingness to adapt accordingly. In chess there are many widely known strategies for beginning a game. These are called “Openings.” Chess players study openings like the “Sicilian Defense”, “Ruy Lopez” or the “French Defense” as a strategy for beginning a game. However, after about ten moves in the game the player’s strategy will be redefined based upon the current circumstances.

This does not mean that the goal of winning changed. The goal is still the same but the road or strategy for getting to the goal has to adapt based upon the current circumstances. I mention this because people who find themselves in adverse situations often change the “goal” instead of “adapting the strategy for reaching the goal.”

The ability to create, adapt and cross the finish line with a strategy is a skillset that anyone can learn. In chess there are three pillars that support the long-term execution of a winning strategy. These are the characteristics “Awareness”, “Self-Control” and a “Desire to Win.” A chess player learns to internalize these characteristics and then incorporates them into their strategy. These characteristics are the same pillars that support a strategy for winning in life.