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Chessville
Advertise to Single insert:
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Chessmaster Biz Secrets Reviewed by Phil Innes
The cover has drop-shadow type in yellow against a purple background, a large “$” sign covering the central 16 squares of a multi-colored board. The title has 203 pages of content, the last 40 being quotations, and all arranged in 45 chapters, but no index. No business C.V. and no chess credentials? Am I really going to read this book? I don’t think so, but I will pick a few chapters, 1, 11, 21, 31 and maybe, if it goes well… The preface begins with a Fischer quote. At the bottom of the first page there is an anecdote about a New York bank in 1990 accepting the wisdom of the chessmasters by running their help-wanted ads not in the WS Journal nor the NY Times, but in Chess Life magazine, and “receiving 1,000 resumes, hiring 5 people, 2 GMs and 3 IMs.” It doesn’t say where the bank advertised in 1991. Still in the preface we have quotes from Spielberg “on seeing 20 moves ahead” and Fischer appears again; he is “rude, ill-spoken and uncouth, but the most spectacular talent the world has seen in a century.” The introduction ends with, “it is hoped that, by applying the accumulated wisdom of a millennium of chessmasters to your business and personal life, you will rise to unprecedented heights of success in each.” It is perhaps unfortunate that the author has no ironical sense nor able to benefit from recent knowledge of Fischer’s predicament in July 2004, when he apparently has no money, no passport, and is facing extradition charges to the US while residing in a Narita airport holding cell. Of other chess player’s I think there may be a few millionaires, two - or is it three? The challenge in this sort of book is going to be convincing business people that business or personal success which eludes top chess players can still be available to them by studying this book, and whether in fact they shouldn’t choose Secrets for BIZ from the Golf Masters, with suitable quotes from Tiger, Arnie and Lee Trevino. Chapter One, which begins with another Fischer quote, is about Doing what You Love. We learn a little of the author who loves to type. The chapter ends with quotations by chessplayers on love and passion, without further incident. Chapter Two (Okay, I have strayed from my plan but Chapter One was short) begins with a friend who is working at the no-brainer donut business, but failing. But its Fischer to the rescue! “All I want to do, ever, is to play chess”, said Bobby. Apparently the obscure moral for his friend is to rededicate himself and avow, “All I ever want to do is fry donuts.” Still on dedication we encounter Tal in hospital for an operation, but he keeps escaping and being found at the local chess club, which unfortunately makes Tal sound like a completely irresponsible fool. Anyway, Chapter Two ends with recommending to his friend to give up the donut business, which he does and he is now a happy musician, while new management has the donut shop ‘thriving.’ After the Chapter Two detour, its back to the plan for me! And to Chapter 11 which is about planning. After one and a half pages we learn what a plan is, and its good. After this the immortal wisdom of the chess world is served-up by the words of Eugene Znosko-Borovsky who says rather diffidently “You must seek a realizable plan, but remember that real chess is likely to be more messy than smooth.” In case this opinion should prove shocking, or indeed, to be insufficient chess wisdom from the masters, ‘former President Dwight D. Eisenhower’ is wheeled on to say, “In preparing for battle, I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” Therefore, Russians and Americans both agree that sometimes it’s going to rain on the barbeque. All the Chapters are called ‘Secrets’ instead of chapters, and Secret 21 is “Initiative.” Bronstein and Steinitz both agree that it’s good. But their opinions seem to be of little weight because suddenly their brief comments are set aside and the Japanese sword master Miyamoto Mushashi makes an appearance from the 17th Century to say that taking the initiative in sword fights and battles is good, so good that its is worth quoting him for several hundred words. Then Mike Tyson has his own paragraph to inform us of the benefit of “unrelenting ferocity.” Next comes Bruce Lee closely followed by a Supreme Court Justice whose comments relate to pornography which is not good. That was page 73 and 74, and at the bottom of page 75 we re-encounter the Wisdom of the Chessmasters again and who say that three tempi are worth a pawn. The business application is not specifically addressed. And I’m not going to lose more tempi by reading another word. This sort of treatment might work as a subscribed newsletter to business clients if a specific business application or case study could be cited and explained as benefiting from chess wisdom. It would make more money for the author,
and save the publisher from a 3-month call to the remainder merchant.
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