Three Moves Ahead: What Chess Can Teach You About Business (Hardcover)

by Bob Rice (Author)
Key Phrases: exchange sac, three moves ahead, pawn chain, Big Idea, King's Gambit, Ruy Lopez (more...)

Editorial Reviews

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

Product Description
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.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass (March 28, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470178213
• ISBN-13: 978-0470178218
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #463,108 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and Insightful, April 4, 2008

By	T. Morgan - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is one of those rare business books that is both entertaining to read and offers valuable insight into how companies make decisions in today's faster paced business environment, particularly in the high tech world. I enjoyed learning about the limitations of strategic thinking shared by great chess players and great business executives. I'd recommend this book to both seasoned business executives and younger business people. It will remind veteran decisionmakers how to focus on what's ahead of them and provide younger managers (particularly young entrepreneurs) with context for why business plans most often have to change. A fun look at business strategy from a very unique perspective.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Instant and Profound, December 23, 2008

By	J. Moore "unlock possibility" (New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book gave me fresh perspective and permanently changed the way I think about business. I've read hundreds if not thousands of business books and until now, none has had this instant and profound effect. Maybe the chess analogy helped or maybe it's just some great ideas that are presented very well. Here are two ways my thinking has changed. First, I find myself thinking about the "board" (the market, points of weakness and strength) rather than focusing on the "pieces" (my business and its competitors). Second. I place a greater value on moving quickly in order to learn and improve on my plans. I highly recommend Three Moves Ahead to anyone seeking an edge in business.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb! Quite possibly the single best business book for the new economy, April 5, 2008

By	David S. Rose (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is an extraordinary work. Aside from being extremely well written (something that one can rarely say about business books), the central thesis here is that in a rapidly changing business environment it is no long sufficient to give 'cookbook' answers to solving problems. Instead, by apply chess theories (NOT 'rules'), Three Moves Ahead gives business executives (and particularly entrepreneurs with early stage companies) a framework for developing their overall business strategies in a world that is morphing faster than we can understand it. The concepts are rock solid, the 21st century examples to which they are applied are brilliant, and the result is a gem of a book that has the potential to reframe the entire discussion of success factors in business.