How Life Imitates Chess [Hardcover]

The first thing to say about this book is that it's really intended for non chess players and doesn't contain any actual chess moves. That said, as a chess player myself, this book gave me great insight into the background psychology of competitive chess, which is difficult to get from the serious chess books.

Garry Kasparov discusses what he learned over more than three decades of top-level chess competition, and applies these learnings quite convincingly to other domains, especially business, personal and political arenas. As he is famously embarking on a politcal career, it is perhaps not surprising that he devotes the last chapter to how his chess career qualifies him for politics. The cynic could thus dismiss the whole book as a manifesto, but I think this would be a mistake - this chapter is relatively small and is a little bit non-sequitous, and it didn't feel to me as if the whole book was leading up to that conclusion (rather feels almost like an afterthought).

Overall, the book is a good read and contains many insights that are valuable to anyone who deals with interpersonal relationships (which is just about all of us). As Garry points out, practical chess is really about psychology, personalities and intuition because the mathematics of it get out of hand far too quickly. For me, the main take away of the book is the brain's ability to recognise patterns, which should be exploited (in whaever field) through practice and exposure, and by having faith in the intuition that results from experience. (Hopefully this will go some way to reduce the tendency in some organisations to distrust expertise and rather have decisions taken by spreadsheets!)

A very good book with far-reaching lessons. I would recommend this over and above many of the popular self-improvement books out there, and I would also recommend it to chess players for psyhological insights free from the distraction of studying the detail of the games.

'How Life Imitates Chess' is an excellent book from Kasparov that is part autobiography, part chess analysis, part motivational book and more besides. It looks at chess techniques and mindsets and explore how these can be applied to everyday life. It follows Kasparovs own development in the game and how his experiences have shaped his thoughts on many aspect of life. It has a great deal of useful information and is definitely one of those books that warrants repeated readings to glean as much information from as possible. His style is easy to read and you get a real feel for his intense way of looking at life, with Kasparov there seems to be no half measures and he imparts this feeling with full force. It inspires you to look at your chess with renewed vigour, but more importantly also to look at your life (and your goals) with that same renewed enthusiasm. It looks at the history of chess, other players, the rise of computers, as well as his retirement and his move into politics. A thoroughly engrossing read for lovers of chess and also for those who wish to learn some valuable life lessons. A highly recommended read.

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When I told my sister about this book she was pretty scornful saying it would be cold and calculating....how to manipulate others by seeing ahead 15 moves etc. But I bought it...I read it...and I can tell you it is nothing of the sort. You don't even need to appreciate chess to appreciate this book. It is brilliant. GK talks about strategy, tactics, material vs time advantage and illuminates his book not only with reference to chess but also with fascinating historical references to Napoleon, Churchill, the business world, the political world etc. Long term strategy, short term gain, being creative in the 'middle game' (the period where it is literally impossible to prepare for....not school...not old age...this is where we as individuals make our mark)....a truly interesting angle is taken at many points...there have been many tedious books written about How To Improve Life etc but GK here is truly illuminating, at least for me, on the decisions one makes in everyday life...whether you are a CEO, a military general or just ordinary folk like us. And the comparison of life to chess is an interesting one....the opening which can be probably be best equated with school/education....the middle game in which we make we show our true ability and then the endgame which is more predictable but which requires more atttention to detail (such as one's health for example). Of course Chess is just a game, a fight almost. And life is much more than that. But this book shows you how poor decisions can have disatstrous consequences....at any stage of the game. We do need to plan ahead to some extent, if not for 10 moves!! Then at least truly think through the consequences of one's actions..that's not calculating, it's common sense. "Go Placidly amidst the noise and haste...and remember what peace there is in silence." as the famous poem says. One of the most illunminating quotes from this book is "Tactics is knowing what to do....strategy is knowing what to do when there is nothing to do" Classic! GK even mentions such every day things like "To Do Lists" which we all have....which all concentrate on the short term but which never mention long term goals. This book does not teach us how to be ultra clever or solve the world's or one's own problems....but provided me with a valuable guide on the importance of seeing the 'big picture'. Whether it be on the chess board...or in real life. It is the same dilemma.

Thank you Gary....you are not only a great chess player who defeated Karpov et al in all those matches. You are also a most insightful and well read person and I, for one, truly appreciate this thought-provoking and ground-breaking book.