360 / Education Vol. 134 No. 3

Chess Piece Names and Starting Positions

t t i t t t t t

I,According to Business Insider (Wai, 2012),Peter Thiel, a Chess Master and billionaireresident in Silicon Valley, uses Chess analo-gies often during his CS183 class at StanfordUniversity.

In order to bridge the gap between schol-arship and enfrepreneurship, to improvey?Mx'capacity, mental acuity and vision for spottingunknovm potential; to develop better leader-ship skills that distinguish oneself from therest of the crowd and meet fast-approachingfuture demands, the authors of this articlerecommend an ancient practice known as theGame of Kings - Chess.

In recent years there have been riots insfreets protesting the 'one percent' of theworld's wealthiest individuals. There maybe a connection between Chess, leadership,business, and being in that one percent group.The road less traveled to becoming a betterleader may be as simple as becoming interest-ed in, and a regular participant in, the Gameof Kings. There is a good chance the personwho is outperforming others currently is, orhas been, an active Chess player. A leadingquestion for education and business: howcan education develop a professional class ofenfrepreneurs and organizational leaders whowill be capable of predicting, managing, andinterpreting complexities that, as yet, unin-vented technologies will change in the future?

Hof^an (2003) described the Europeangame of Chess and how it dominates stra-tegic business practices of Europeans, incomparison with the Asian game of Go'^ andits strategic effects on how Asians conductbusiness. Hofigan demonsfrated how miesand strategies within the two most importantgames in the world. Go and Chess, subcon-sciously controlled the business cultures ofEurope and Asia, where those who becamecaptains of industry and commerce had beenpracticing since childhood. However, thisdoesn't just apply to industry and commerce,but to all fields of endeavor. For instance, inWWII Germany, Field Marshall Erich VonManstein, considered Germany's greatestcommander, "could out-think and out-ma-neuver opponents with the focus of a Chessplayer, and indeed Chess was one of hisobsessions" (Citino, 2013, emphasis added).Even more recently, the President-elect ofMexico, Enrique Peña Nieto, who credits hissuccess to his Chess playing ability (Archi-bold & Zabludovsky, 2012), was said to havedelayed a strategy meeting simply in orderto finish a Chess game, according to the NewYork Times. Apparently, playing the game ofChess is that important to elite leaders; evenpresidents!

What does the reported strategy of aChess-playing World War II German gener-al, presidents, and billionaires have to offerto today's leaders? Carland and Carland

Go Game Board and Pieces

Want To Improve Your Leadership Skills? PLAY CHESS! 1361

(2003) succinctly described the problem oftoday's leadership: "Far too often people justdecide upon a strategy, then follow it step bystep, even when it becomes obvious the situa-tion has changed; even when it becomes obvi-ous the plan cannot work" (p.98). So what doleaders need in today's endeavors? Leadersneed to be able to think like Manstein anddevelop the fiux capacity that can address thecontinual flexibility of today's rapidly chang-ing environments such as business, education,the military, etc.

The Object of Chess and its Potential toDevelop Superior Creative Ability

The object of the game of Chess is check-mate (See Table 1) and it can happen in as fewas four moves or less. Most checkmates, how-ever, occur within an average of 20-40 moves.In order to obtain a checkmate, a player mustrecognize two fundamental principles:

1. One must take away all space fi-om theopposing King.

2. Finally, one must attack the King.

The critical thinking/planning process toarrive at a successful conclusion involves afew logical steps:

• How much space do I already control?

• What space do I need to control?

• What barriers inhibit my advance?

• How can they be removed in order toexecute the process of cÄec^waie?

The correlate here, for example in busi-ness, is that bringing a product to marketrequires the same methodology and skilledexecution. Usually, a company only gets onechance to bring a product to market correctly,and so often in the game of Chess, a playermay only get one chance to checkmate theopponent. Chess develops the skill of making

Table 1. The Value of Chess for Developing Leadership Skills

What chess is observed to be

Capturing piet«

Making moves Of! a game board

Defeating yoyr opponent

Playrf aii.iins! si'meane else

Checkmate

The true value of chess

Control,

t f

Piaraiing/exe£ution;mâintaming equilibrium and

building strong foundations for implementing relevant

change

L\irii hit, ' i t r f " . c jndkflowinRttestrengths/

* tiRi s >f ki'v PC m. ,îu ition.

Overcoming self-doubt, personal inadequacy, and

becoming self-actualized through victory and defeat

í^1tl(l^-', ( building at .Jcoiijtti M m t,i' m

I 'p'Mi ibiiit, foi one s iiwn

Achieving mastery of the tieid/position, and turning

potential victory into real victory

362 / Education Vol. 134 No. 3

every move count three moves in advance be-cause if one misses the opportunity, it can costthe whole game.

Half-way into this first quarter-centurythere is one prediction; as we look forwardthere needs to be improvement in the abilityof leaderships' 'flux capacity'. Business en-vironments, especially now, are in continualflux due to the celerity of technological andinformational change in response to consum-er diversity and demand. Technologicallyinduced business-model change is occtirringin many industries, particularly education, theprint industry, trading, and shipping, to namea few. For example, the education industrytoday is experiencing increased flux and, dueto many factors, according to Peterson (2003),is becoming endangered. In our present timeand in the future, there will be increasing de-mand for leaders advanced in the art of think-ing, as practiced in Chess. Chess is not justa game; Chess represents a well-researchedmethodology for developing some of the mostadvanced, creative, thought-leaders an orga-nization can hire.

Correlates between Leadership and Chess

Benjamin Franklin, in the 18* century,understood the power of Chess to transformminds and became the first celebrity propo-nent of the game (Franklin, 1786). Considerthe following as a description of the valueChess has for developing one's leadershipability (See Table 2). An important correlationbetween chess and leadership skill, that mustbe considered, is the comparison of piecevalues ana people values. There are specificnimierical values associated with each Chesspiece that every beginner learns. These are thestatic values of the pieces and there are manyfactors that determine their value. However,there also are relative values of each piecewhen observed in various positional circtim-stances. There are an additional set of whollydifferent factors that determine the value ofpieces when foimd in various positions. Rela-tive value can also be termsà positional valueof the piece. One cannot be a leader withoutfollowers. Those followers also will have stat-ic and relative value to leaders and the venuein which they lead. In turn, there are a multi-tude of factors that differentiate an individu-al's static value when hired as compared to the

individual's relative

Table 2. Piece Values vs. People Values

Mone, the King cannotbe captured, only

Corporation

Rook

Knights

P < ! < •

Maiketing/PR

value in certain posi-tional circumstances.A famous chess gamedemonstrates thisprinciple well.

The Polish Im-mortal, as the gamebetween Glucks-berg and Najdorfhas become known(Kasparov, 2005),demonstrated the rel-ative values of Chesspieces perfectly. Inthat game, Najdorfbrilliantly sacrificed^

\Nant To Improve Your Leadership Skills? PLAY CHESS! / 363

four minor pieces to lead to one of the mostbrilliant checkmates in history. On the lastmove of the game, the major pieces, theQueen and the Rook, stand silently, workingtogether indirectly in the backgrotind whilethe pawn, the piece of lowest static value - buthighest relative value in that circumstance,was allowed to deliver the killer checkmateto the enemy King. This game demonstratesa critical leadership strategy: it is the dufy ofthose in leadership positions to ascertain therelative value of the people in their organi-zation and to determine the relative value oftheir potential contribution in any position. Inaddition, it is the dufy of leadership to makeopen opportunities for those in lower staticvalue positions to achieve their highest po-tential and not block/diminish their abilify tocontribute to the overall organization in waysperhaps unimagined. The point here is, typi-cally, only rank begirmers hold fast to staticvalues, while Masters of the game are deeplycritical of relative values of pieces in variouspositions, including the sacrifice'* of even aQueen.

Leaders should take a serious look atChess competency as part of their deliberatepractice in their quest for improvement (Un-ger, Keith, Hilling, Gielnik, & Frese, 2009).Chess has received a long, diverse experi-mental inquiry into its abilify to develop themental capacify of its participants. This is im-portant because the literature supports mentalabilify as being a qualify necessary (for exam-ple. Spearman's g) for exceptional leadership(Schmidt & Hunter, 1998). In fact, based on85 years of research, Schmidt and Hunterconcluded, "... for hiring employees withoutprevious experience in the job the most validpredictor of future performance and leamingis general mental abilify" (p.262). In addition,according to Thompson (2007), IQ appearsto be a predictor of leadership level in an or-ganization: the higher the IQ, the higher thelevel. However, intelligence alone is not as

significant as IQ plus high emotional intelli-gence (EQ). IQ may be a threshold for gettinginto senior leadership, but EQ demonstratesthe presence of other factors such as "moti-vation, self-awareness, empathy and socialskills" (Carpenter, Bauer, & Erdogen, 2009;Cangemi, 2011). Because of the general im-plications that Chess improves mental abilify,scientists doing cognitive research have beenstudying the effects Chess has on psychologi-cal performance since the late 18OO's in areassuch as perception, memory, thinking abilify,visual imagination, and brain activation (Hunt& Navalta, 2012). Research clearly supportsthat Chess has the potential to develop supe-rior creative capabilify (Kazemi, Yektayar, &Abad, 2012).

Chess and EntrepreneurshipCarland and Carland (2003) stated, "If the

ptirsuit of economic success is a game, it mostcertainly resembles a Chess game, becauseChess is a game of moves and countermoves"(p. 100). Entrepreneurs tend to take majorrisks at the wisp of an opportunify in orderto realize a typically incomplete vision, whilecorporate behemoths play the game utilizinglong-term strategies and defensive positionsseeking small competitive advantages. Thefirst mover advantage, described by Rice(2008) in terms of Metcalfe 's Law^ , is withthe player who uses the White pieces. Accord-ing to the mies. White moves into the fieldfirst and dictates the stmcture and flow ofthe game. Rice used this metaphor to relatehow a new product may enter a virgin market.Entrepreneurs are astute at using first-movereffect to their advantage and the risks takenappear to be leveraged by the mass potentialof getting a novelfy into market first -increas-ing potential users/consumers. Ford MotorCompany, Paypal, Ebay, and Skype, haveemulated this process. On the other hand, inChess, the opponent also gets its first moveof the game in response to White's play.

364 / Education Vol. 134 No. 3

According to Rice, there is a second-moveradvantage. The second-mover has the dis-tinct advantage of being able to observe whatWhite has played and takes the opportunityto improve on it. If an opponent enters themarket with the same moves, the opponentwill lose. But, if the second-mover comes intothe market with an improved product at a newangle, then such strategies may help the sec-ond-mover overtake the field. Rice comparessuch an angle to a famous opening called theSicilian Defense^.

Entrepreneurial types are pressuring long-term planning business giants to redefinedynamic processes, potentially changing themies of the game. In the Chess world themost famous names for such kinds of noveltyare Bobby Fischer and Mikhail Tal, while inthe business world, for instance, these nameswould be Facebook, Google, and Coursera,among others. They are all fundamental gamechangers amid acknowledged giants likeHoughton-Mifflin, Texas Instruments, Apple,and General Electric, to name a few. Obvi-ously, the increase in flux has created a newclass of entrepreneurs, individuals who envi-sion what is not there, and then execute thevision. This is the same process as obtainingcheckmate in a complex Chess position. Themultiple facets and methodologies of Chessmodel multiple business practices, and thepursuit of Chess-Mastery has the capacity todevelop necessary skills that increase chancesfor mastery in leadership (Graber, 2007; Rice,2008). This can be visualized by asking thefollowing question: "How many squares areon a chessboard?" Count the squares on thechessboard and hold your answer for a mo-ment (See Figure 1).

Controlling the Game by Controlling Space:The Case of Coca-Cola

Former Cuban-bom, Coca-Cola CEO,Roberto Goizueta, suspected a complacency

problem and gathered various subordinates toa meeting to discuss Coke's share in the mar-ketplace. He asked a simple question: Whatpercent of the beverage market is Coke's? Theanswer, which came quite confidently fromthe group, based on the company's measures,was 45%. His subordinates demonstratedthey were proud of this accomplishment andseemed satisfied with this measure, suggest-ing the market was saturated and a higher per-centage was not very pragmatic, consideringthe rest of the beverages on the market. Theattitude they exhibited was Coke essentiallyowned the beverage market. Goizueta, everthe perceptive CEO, recognized his subordi-nates' sense of overconfidence was the prob-lem and was limiting the company's growth.He knew the solution: he had to change theirperception.

Goizueta then asked another probingquestion: how many ounces of liquid does theaverage person need to consume a day? Theanswer given: 64 ounces. Using 64 ouncesas a guide, he then asked how many ouncesof Coca-Cola products a day does the aver-age person consume! Becoming somewhatperplexed, his subordinates' over-confidentattitudes began to diminish and someone in

Figure 1. How many squares are ontlie chess board?

Want To Improve Your Leadership Skills? PLAY CHESS! 1365

Table 3. Squares on a Chess Board

Number of squares Type of squares

.If

36

49

64

8x8

7x7

6x6

5x5

3x3

2x2

single

the group replied: two percent (2%). Goizuetathen replied, "Andyou think the market is sat-urated?" He clearly and effectively demon-sfrated an inaccurate visualization/perceptualproblem in his subordinates. This changein perception - a paradigm shifi - becamethe springboard that positively affected andincreased Coke's leadership in the beveragemarket.

In Chess, every move changes the spaceand increases the flux. What Goizueta askedwas, really, "How many Squares are on thechessboard?" Samuel Hunt constantly asksthis question to interested individuals andthey nearly always answer 64. Goizueta'ssubordinates made the same mistake. Theircalculation was based solely on figures, notutilizing the addition of intuition. Whenlooking at a chessboard most people cannotsee anything else but 8 x 8 = 64. However,according to Table 3, we can see clearly thereare 204 squares on a Chess board. It is fairlyobvious, if one understands the board itselfis a single square composed of 64 smaller

squares, which makes the board the 65thsquare (See Figure 1). Thus, following thesame pattem (i.e. 7x7, 6x6, 5x5, etc.); the ac-tual squares on a chessboard becomes appar-ent. This is akin to how Goizueta changed hissubordinates' perception in order to increasecompany market share. Matzler, Bailom, andMooradian (2007) described a key leadershipfrait being pattern recognition, a skill thatleads to better intuition. Better intuition andvisualization would obviously improve aleader's flux capacity.

Parallels between Chess Practice and Busi-ness Practice

Graber (2009) added some concrete addi-tional parallels between Chess practice andbusiness practices. Chess teaches that captur-ing the opposition's piece, even though possi-ble, may be a bad move; a player should onlycapture a piece if, in acquiring the piece, onereceives a benefit in time, resources, or posi-tion. It may appear one is gaining a short-termmaterial advantage, but it may cost the gameif employed. Such vivid examples includeEnron and Madoff, and recently the bankingindustry, whose short-term gains moved intounethical waters. The capturing of the oppo-nent's piece also may not be smart because aplayer is reducing resources available for en-abling checkmate, if the opponent recaptures.

Graber related the following in relationto opportunity costs in leadership and chess,including:

1. over-extending resources toward anopponent in an untenable position;over-extended/overworked pieces inChess become easy targets to exploit;

2. accepting gifts en prisé' without read-ing the fine print (in chess, such en prisepieces are known zs poisoned pieces).

Long-term thinking is important in educa-tion, business, and other venues. The obviouspoint here speaks to leadership: not sacriflcinglong-term thinking for seemingly short-term

366 / Education Vol. 134 No. 3

outcomes. Chess is not only about knowing thenext three moves in the short-term outcomesof the game, but how those combinations willalter the game as a whole to one's advantageor disadvantage. Does the move create exploit-able weaknesses? On the other hand, in Chess,a gambit is a short-term, deliberate materialloss - a sacrifice*, which attempts to gainlong-term advantages in time, resources, ordevelopment/space. This tactic likewise takesplace in business. For example, a corporatebehemoth may sell off a subsidiary in order toconsolidate its position in the marketplace, ora new entrepreneur may sell off a company toa behemoth in order to bring a new idea intothe marketplace and expand the entrepreneur'sinfluence. In Chess and leadership, timing andvisualization of potential opportunity is quint-essential to success.

Such correlates, which have not been ex-hausted in this article, leave little doubt thegame of Chess models leadership practicesthat are extremely important in the flux of themillennial economy. Future entrepreneurialand/or leadership classes of tomorrow couldprofit from supporting and teaching Chess atan early age to develop/strengthen students'mental acumen.

Conclusion

The authors have endeavored to demon-strate the potential applicability of learningChess as a tool, especially at an early age, toincrease skills essential to more successfulleadership. From these findings we can con-clude the Game of Kings - Chess is a field ofdevelopment of the most critical and neces-sary skills required by leaders across everyendeavor. It appears to be the missing elementin education practice that goes beyond lectureand assessment, rote memorization of facts,and into pure mental and psychological de-velopment that American school systems arecurrently struggling to provide students.

The knowledge economy in Americaneeds more Chess practitioners. For the en-hancement of education in any nation, themost cost-effective and simplest change thatcan be made is to put Chess in every schooland university, side-by-side with current prac-tices, to actively increase the developmentof the flux capacity required of present andfiiture leaders and entrepreneurs. Have thesegaming methodologies, as HofÇan (2003)brought to light, been controlling businesspractices of leaders in both Europe and Asiafor generations? Would it not make sensefor today's youth — and today's leaders — tojoin this unheralded society of masterminds?What would be the barm?

In summary, the timing could not be bet-ter to begin learning the Game of Kings andusing this powerful tool to transform mentalcapacity necessary for becoming a more suc-cessful leader. Incorporating Chess into theearly grade curriculum, as well as in graduateleadership/business/industrial/educationalprograms, etc., could be an essential catalystfor enhancing the skills of graduates and lead-ers as they enter the new, millennial, global,competitive workforce.

Notes

1. Flux, in our context, has to do with thespontaneous, often intuitive, necessary change re-quired to maintain forward progress, regardless ofpreconceived and well-laid plans: just the oppositeof what Carland and Carland described as the fail-ure of so many leaders (p.98).

2 . The object of Go is to occupy a largerportion of space than your opponent, using piecescalled stones to surround them.

3 . A sacrifice is an exchange of a piece withhigher static value for a piece of lower static value.

4 Sacrifice is not a metaphor for firing an individ-ual. It is a metaphor for necessary use of personnelin various roles during various circumstances.

5. Metcalf's Law is described as the square ofthe number of users being proportional to the valueof the network.

V\fant To Improve Your Leadership Skills? PLAY CHESS! 1367

6. The Sicilian Defense is an opening for theblack pieces that has the highest winning percent-age against the most common nrst move for white:pawn to e4. One of the most studied Grandmaster'sof all time (Philidor, 1777) stated, "...it is a verygood [opening] to try the strength of an adversarywith whose skill you are unacquainted" (p.201).

7. ¿npráe is a French chess term meaning 'ina position to be taken ' or more commonly 'for free '.

8. A blunder is an accidental and unforeseen/unplanned loss in resources. A gambit!sacrifice isa well-planned strategic endeavor; a tactic, not ablunder.

Author Note:

Samuel J. Hunt, College of Education andBehavioral Science, is completing his Educa-tional Leadership Doctoral degree at WesternKentucky University.

Joseph P. Cangemi is Emeritus Professorof Psychology, Scholar-in-Residence at West-em Kentucky University.

Correspondence concerning this articleshould be addressed to Samuel J Hunt, 1906College Heights Blvd, GRH 3048, BowlingGreen, KY 42101

Contact: samuel.hiuitl @topper.wku.edu

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