The Chess Master’s Lesson

A chess master taught two students. The first asked, “How do I win more pieces?” The master said, “Every piece you take, your opponent loses. This is the nature of the board.”

The second asked, “How do I get better at chess?” The master paused. “That is a different game. You can both improve. Your gain in skill does not diminish his.”

The first student spent years in rivalry. The second spent years in study.

On the board, every game was zero-sum. Off the board, learning was not. The master wanted them to know the difference.