Three Moves Ahead: What Chess Can Teach You About Business

Bob Rice

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0470178213 ISBN 13: 9780470178218

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, 2008

Three Moves Ahead shows how classic chess strategies address the #1 problem of Information Age executives: how to move quickly in the face of incalculable complexities and unexpected change. This witty and novel guide, written for non-players, is packed with scores of real-world examples showing how top CEOs use Grandmaster techniques to win on Wall Street. Readers will see how a "strong square" strategy drove Adobe's rise from niche player to industry giant, as well as Western Union's success through a hundred years of technology changes. They'll learn how AOL has played a crucial "exchange sacrifice" to revive its fortunes, and how Google is taking turf from Microsoft with a "minority attack." Most importantly these days, they'll find out "what to do when you don't know what to do," and avoid the fate of companies like Polaroid, Gateway, and our dearly departed Ma Bell. "A fun ride from Apprentice to Business Grandmaster. Grab it!"-Donald Trump Bob Rice (Short Hills, NJ) was a long-time partner at Wall Street's prestigious Milbank, Tweed, Hadley, and McCloy. He left to start a software venture that was purchased by Viewpoint, a NASDAQ company of which he later became CEO. He is currently a Managing Partner of Tangent Capital, which structures financial products for hedge funds, and a member of the "New York Angels" venture finance group. Along the way, Bob served as Commissioner of the Professional Chess Association, founded the Wall Street Chess Club, ran numerous international chess events and produced a successful "Speedchess" series for ESPN.

Review:

"In his thought-provoking, chess-themed book on business strategizing, Rice asserts that beginning and intermediate players tend to focus on which pieces are positioned to take or be taken, but when grandmasters examine the board they look at the squares. Rice makes fitting comparisons between chess pieces and actors in the corporate world. Lowest-level workers are compared to pawns, middle managers to knights, director-level executives to bishops and vice presidents to rooks. The central them of this book is that you have to have a plan, event if it's a bad one, to succeed in both chess and business. The idea is to adjust your plan as the game proceeds in response to the moves of the opposition."--McClatchy-Tribune News Service, April 26, 2008

From the Back Cover:

PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT THREE MOVES AHEAD

"Three moves ahead? I'd say four, at least. An utterly fresh guide to winning in today's business environment."
--Jim Spanfeller, CEO, Forbes.com

"Every executive struggles with the pressure to think fast and think ahead. Bob's fascinating book shows how to apply chess principles to do just that. It's impossible to make the right move every time, but these strategies will help you succeed in the face of the unpredictable."
--Bruce Chizen, former CEO, Adobe Systems Incorporated

"This amazing book is the first time anyone has clearly translated Grandmaster ideas to real-world situations. The business examples are so good that I'm using them to teach chess!"
--Maurice Ashley, International Chess Grandmaster

"Rarely does one find a book where every page is filled with both brilliant insight and witty writing. Mandatory reading for every startup."
--David S. Rose, founder, New York Angels

"I don't play chess but it sure improved my 'game' at the office! The clever, clear examples show how to use dozens of classic strategies in everyday situations. This book can put any executive 'three moves ahead'!"
--Sarah Fay, CEO, Carat USA