The Moves That Matter (A Chess Grandmaster on the Game of Life)

A chess grandmaster reveals the powerful teachings this ancient game offers for staying present, thriving in a complex world, and crafting a fulfilling life.

Refined and perfected through 1,500 years of human history, chess has long been a touchstone for shrewd tacticians and master strategists. But what if we thought of the game not as warfare in miniature, but rather as an ever-shifting puzzle to be solved, a narrative to be written, or a task that demands players create their own motivation from moment to moment? Then, as champion player Jonathan Rowson argues in this utterly unique book, it starts to seem as if all of life might be reflected in those 64 black and white squares.

Taking us inside the psychologically charged world of chess's global elite, and into the minds of outstanding players sitting at a board, Rowson mines the game for its dazzling insights into sustaining focus, quieting our inner saboteur, making tough decisions, overcoming failure, and more. He peels back the arcane rules and wondrous logic of chess to reveal the timeless wisdom underneath. This exhilarating tour ranges from the psychology of gang violence to the aesthetics of cyborgs, the mysteries of parenting, the beauty of technical details, and the endgame of death. Throughout, chess emerges as a powerful-and surprisingly accessible-metaphor for the thrills and setbacks that invest our daily lives with meaning and beauty.