One day I wake up, check chess news and see this headline:
GothamChess Plays Chess With Ballon d’Or Winner Harry Kane, Michael Olise
I’ve rarely been this jealous.
From since I was 5 years old, I’m a huge Bayern fan. I proudly played for their Bundesliga Chess Team, and try to watch most matches.
Harry Kane is my favorite player in the current squad. And GothamChess, not even a football fan to my knowledge, gets to meet him and Olise just after Kane won the Ballon D’or.
“Why not me? This is so unfair!” were some thought rushing through my brain.
Then, I managed to switch focus quickly and see the real picture.
Every huge success is 100 trade-offs
I asked myself one question that helped me get out of this state very quickly.
“Would you take the whole package?”
When we think about a big achievement, a rare opportunity, we often tend to think about it in a vacuum. Like I could have my exact same life, but just have the opportunity to meet the biggest sports stars who tend to also like chess. That’s not how life works.
Instead, there often are huge trade-offs that lead up to such achievements and opportunities. Seeing these trade-offs often just helps me realize that I’m perfectly happy with the way I chose to live.
I don’t want to upload daily videos. Have to work with Chesscom. Be at my PC the moment a Magnus Carlsen game finishes to maximize views. Those are only a fraction of the trade-offs Levy chose to take on to have his success and channel size. When I see it this way, no thank you, not interested.
Do you still want it with all the trade-offs?
I’m sure you’ve looked at stronger chess players and thought: “Wow, I’d love to have this rating/opportunity.”
Sometimes, it can be a painful thought. I can tell you as a Grandmaster: the trade-offs are not always worth it. What you don’t see is the hours spent at a chess board instead of hanging out with friends. The annoying travels, the horrible hotels we stay in, the hours spent away from loved ones. Not to speak of the pressure we put on ourselves, the slowly diminishing love for the game because it becomes more like a job than a hobby.
And even if it isn’t the GM title, but just winning a few hundred points.
There always are trade-offs.
So when you catch yourself thinking “I want this, too.” I highly recommend asking yourself:
“Would I take the whole package?”
If the answer is yes, evaluate if it is likely, then go for it while accepting the trade-offs.
If the answer is no, you can enjoy your current chess level with less remorse.
I for one, am very grateful to be able to write this email on a Wednesday morning. No travels for work planned. No YouTube video I have to record today.
The freedom to do what I want, when I want is what I chose and continue to choose.
The trade-off?
Not reaching 2600 Elo. Less reach. Less fame. Less money. Not meeting Harry Kane.
That’s okay.
Keep improving,
GM Noël Studer
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