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# What Chess Taught Me About Strategy and Leadership

Nikesh21 October 20253 minute read

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To be honest, I’m not a grandmaster—just a curious student who got hooked on chess during lunch breaks with friends. The more I played, the more I started seeing parallels between chess and my life as a student, a team member, and a beginner at building startups and tech projects.

**It’s Not About Winning (It’s About Learning)**

At first, I just wanted to win. Who doesn’t? But losing, surprisingly, became my best teacher. Each game, I found myself spotting patterns—mistakes in my openings, blunders in the endgame. I started jotting down what went wrong. Chess turned into a cycle: try, fail, reflect, try again (repeat).

That’s a lot like IB. Every assignment, every test isn’t just about grades—it’s about getting feedback, figuring out how I can do better next time.

**Seeing the Whole Board**

Chess drills you to see the big picture, not just your next move. In projects, I realized I used to jump into coding or planning without stepping back to ask “What’s my actual goal?” Trying to play chess blindfolded (I’ve failed, for the record!) made me appreciate how every piece, every teammate, and every skill needs to work together.

**Strategy Is for Everyone**

People think strategy is just for experts or CEOs. As a student, I’m learning how mini-strategies stack up:

- Block distractions before test week (like knights defending the king).
- Prioritize tasks in group projects instead of trying to do everything at once.
- Learn from classmates—they see angles I miss, just like pieces that move in unexpected ways.

**Leadership Happens One Move at a Time**

Being a “leader” doesn’t mean giving orders. In chess, you have to make choices, accept results, and sometimes sacrifice a piece for a bigger win. It’s humbling—sometimes your “brilliant” plan fails and you need to adapt. In my student projects, I’m realizing leading often just means encouraging a friend, helping a team out of a jam, or owning up when I mess up.

**Curiosity \> Confidence**

The best chess players ask questions throughout the game—“Why did that move work?” “Can I improve that opening?” I try to bring that same energy to school and my projects: less acting like I know everything, more exploring, more experimenting.If someone asked me if chess made me an expert in strategy, I’d laugh. But it did make me a lot more curious, patient, and open to learning. If you’re a student figuring things out, try picking up a game, a new skill, or a challenge you’re not good at (yet). It’s never about being the best—it’s about learning, one move at a time.

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[Previous reflection**Empathy in Coding: Building Tech That Actually Serves People**](https://nikesh.co/reflections/empathy-in-coding-building-tech-that-actually-serves-people) [Next reflection**The Power of Curiosity in Tech and Beyond**](https://nikesh.co/reflections/the-power-of-curiosity-in-tech-and-beyond)

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