Chess, Strategy, and Success: A Conversation with John Adair

Chess, Strategy, and Success: A Conversation with John Adair

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Welcome back to the Daily Mastermind, George Wright III with your daily dose of inspiration, motivation, and education. And I'm here with an awesome guest today, somebody I've gotten to know over the last little while. John Adair. How are you doing?

Doing well, George. Thank—it's a pleasure to be on your podcast today.

Yeah, we've had some interesting conversations and we got a topic that might come out of a little left field for people, but it has amazing strategies and tactics you can take from it no matter whether you're listening as a business owner or you're trying to create your life. Let me give a little bit of an introduction here of our guest.

John's a writer, a poet, and a lifelong lover of chess. He began playing chess at 10 years old, taught by his father and stepfather, and he has competed in US Chess Federation tournaments. He is the author of Chess Basics, which has both English and Spanish editions. He’s also working on other books, including a powerful collection of quotations.

Today what we're gonna do is talk about chess fundamentals and timeless strategies that can inspire you not only to play better but sharpen your thinking in business and in life. So we are really glad to have you here, John. Maybe what you could do is give us a little bit of your backstory. Where did you come from and how did you get to this point? Because usually, a lot of listeners are like, yeah, we get the backstory on people—but you’ve got a very interesting backdrop to why you wrote this book. So bring us up to speed with why you did this.

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The Birth of Chess Basics

Sure. I guess it was back in 2020 that my brother got a call one day. I should give you the backdrop: we were in full COVID mode. We were in lockdown. Nobody was doing anything. I live in Las Vegas, Nevada, and George, it was really eerie—they had the whole city shut down.

Yeah.

It was during COVID. I got a call from my brother Dan, who lived about three houses down from me at the time, and he said, “Aiden is starting to play chess.” Aiden is his grandson, and he was 10 years old at the time. As you’ve just stated, that’s the same age I was when I started to play chess. I was 10 years old.

I said, “Get out of town—Aiden’s playing chess?” He goes, “Yeah, and he’s really good, supposedly.” That got my wheels turning. We were on lockdown, not working. My brother had started a tour company here in Las Vegas called Mr. Las Vegas Tours. He had sold that company, but I had been one of his drivers part-time. Anyway, since we weren’t working, I decided to write a little tutorial for my grandnephew Aiden, who I positively adore.

I should tell you, Aiden was a very bright kid. When he was over here, sometimes my brother and his wife would drop him off for me to take care of. I used to give him these toothpick geometric forms—problems that needed to be solved. Over a couple of years, I gave him three or four of those problems, each one harder than the last. Aiden always solved them.

I remember the hardest one I gave him: he had been working on it for about 25 minutes. Remember, this is an eight-year-old kid.

Yeah, you were challenging him.

Yeah. And I went up to him—he was sitting in the living room—and I said, “Aiden, do you want me to tell you the answer?” He looked up at me, eyes watery, and said, “No, Uncle John. No, I don’t want you to tell me.”

“Okay, that’s fine.”

And sure enough, he solved it about 10 minutes later. This was a very tough geometric toothpick problem. So with that in mind, I wanted to write him a little tutorial. It turned into about 68 pages—just the basic stuff I had learned when I was playing chess, and some things I wish someone had told me earlier.

Yeah.

So I put it together in lessons, took it to a local Kinko’s, spiral-bound it, and added a plastic cover. My brother had told me in July about Aiden, and by December—when the family came out for Christmas—I had it finished. I gave it to his mother, my niece Krista, and said, “This is for Aiden.”

She flipped through it and said, “Wow, Uncle John. This is fantastic. Are you thinking about publishing it?”

And George, the truth be told, publishing it never even entered my mind.

Yeah, you were just loving it.

Yeah, I was just loving the process. Aiden was very appreciative. We even played a game shortly after, and I showed him some things. But after that, I thought about what my niece had said. And the truth is, there was no way on God’s green earth that I could publish that unedited book in that form—it was riddled with typos and things that could have been written much tighter.

So I let it sit for about six months. Then I decided to rewrite one of the chapters. It came out really good. That got me wanting to rewrite the rest, expand it to 10 lessons, and that’s what launched the writing of the book that is now called Chess Basics.

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Finding Chess — And Loving the Game

I saw my dad. He would come over—even though he and my mom had already divorced, she always stayed friends with him—and sometimes before taking us to a movie he’d sit with my stepfather and play chess. I was fascinated. I didn’t even know how the pieces moved at first, but by watching them, I learned. After several months, I begged my dad to play me. I knew the basics, but he would wipe me out in four or five moves.

Best lessons there.

He’d come out with the queen right away and wipe out my king side. Still, I was hooked. I was 10, and I kept playing—first with friends who knew the game, then even with strangers. Over time I read books, analyzed my games, and kept learning.

What’s interesting—and I want listeners to hear this—is that there are things in life you’re naturally drawn to. You were drawn to chess, kept pursuing it, and then this opportunity came up for Aiden. You leaned in, and it turned into something bigger. A couple of questions. First, what drew you so strongly to chess in the first place? And second, how did that love lead you toward writing and, eventually, publishing?

I think I always had a passion for writing as well, though not as early as chess. Writing started to click around 14 or 15. In grade school our teacher assigned book reports with no limit. I ended up writing 21 reports in fifth grade at Dixie Canyon Avenue School. The next closest classmate wrote nine. By high school, I was offering to help friends with letters and assignments. It just felt natural.

Another turning point for writing came later, after we lost my brother Robert in 1996. As a family we were devastated—my mother especially. I started to write him a letter, then switched to Spanish because I felt the language fit the emotion I needed to express. That letter grew into a 24-stanza poem in Spanish that took me two years and nine months to complete. My Spanish was rusty, so I had to level up. When I finished, it brought real peace and acceptance. Writing became a way to heal.

There’s a powerful lesson there: the act of writing—whether it’s a book, a letter, or just your thoughts—can be healing and clarifying. Mix that with your passion for chess and the COVID downtime, and you had the perfect moment to build something meaningful.

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Building Chess Basics: Culture, Clarity, and Craft

Let’s talk about the book. It isn’t just “how the pieces move.” You packed it with context: the culture, legends, quotes, and strategy. Walk us through the structure and what makes it different.

One of the simplest, most overlooked pieces in most chess books is vocabulary. I wanted readers to absorb “chess culture” and the language players actually use. So I included a three-page vocabulary section—real terms about tactics, strategy, and concepts that help you talk and think like a chess player. Not esoterica, not federation trivia—words you’ll actually use across the board.

I also included true basics that too many books skip, like board orientation: a white square belongs in the right-hand corner—that’s fundamental. How the king and queen are placed in the center. Clean, practical setup details that matter to beginners.

And you highlight great players, quotes from legends, and even a tribute to Bobby Fischer. You really added layers.

Yes. I wrote player profiles and included encounters I’ve had with notable masters. I talk about the Russian grandmaster I met at a tournament, Eddie Gufeld—a giant who wrote over a hundred books and visited more than 80 countries. I discuss Magnus Carlsen, who recently stepped down as world champion after a decade at the top, and a remarkable story about a woman chessmaster from a family of three sisters—homeschooled, trained six to seven hours a day—the strongest sibling trio in chess history.

You also published the book in English and Spanish. Why the Spanish edition?

My publishers—an all-Latino team led by two Latina founders with a seven-person staff including two PhDs—asked if I would consider a Spanish version. I loved the idea. My mother was born in Argentina; the cultural connection mattered to me. The translation took close to a year because they wanted it right. I asked for one addition: a standalone eight-page profile of Mexico’s first international grandmaster, Carlos Torre. They loved it, and we included it.

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Carlos Torre, Bobby Fischer, and the Drama of Chess

Tell us more about Carlos Torre and your tribute to Bobby Fischer, because those stories carry so much weight—even for non-players.

Carlos Torre is a phenomenal story. Picture this: a 20-year-old, largely unknown Mexican player who had moved to the U.S. at age 10, spending his formative years in New Orleans. In 1925 he goes to Moscow for a massive international tournament. All the greats are there. In round 11 he faces former world champion Emanuel Lasker—who still holds the record for the longest reign: just shy of 27 years. People sometimes assume Lasker must have been in decline. Not so—he remained one of the top one or two players in the world for another decade. And Torre, with the white pieces, beats him—elegantly, convincingly. I break that history down in the Spanish edition’s tribute piece. It’s gripping, even if you’ve never played a game.

As for Bobby Fischer, he was my hero. I grew up during the Cold War—a U.S. kid watching Fischer take on Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union. The cultural and political pressure was enormous. I’ve worked on my Fischer tribute for about 15 years; I refined and republished it in the book. It captures why he mattered to the game and to a generation.

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Life Lessons from a Chessboard

Let’s pull out some lessons for entrepreneurs, creators, and anyone building their life. What does chess teach that transfers directly to business and leadership?

Decision-making. You must make decisions—sometimes under intense time pressure. Tournament chess is clocked. You can’t sit for two hours on a single position. You press your clock, your opponent’s time starts, and vice versa. That dynamic forces clarity. Whether your move is brilliant, average, or flawed, you must act. That alone is an incredible training ground.

There’s also strategic thinking—seeing several moves ahead, aligning actions with a purposeful plan, preparing for contingencies. It’s not random. You decide on structures, create edges, and constantly evaluate trades: time, material, initiative, risk. All of that maps perfectly to business.

Decisiveness is everything for entrepreneurs. And the discipline to act—even imperfectly—beats hesitation every time.

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Getting Started (Even If You’re Intimidated)

For someone who’s curious but hesitant—chess feels complicated, the culture seems intense—what’s the first step? What mindset should they adopt?

Set up the board and play. That’s it. Don’t wait to “know enough.” Don’t worry if you get checkmated in five moves. Start. The beauty is in playing. Once you’re moving pieces, principles from a good book—mine or any solid beginner guide—begin to make sense. You’ll say, “Oh—I never thought about that.” The clarity builds with action.

That’s a great life lesson: most people never start. Start, then refine.

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From Chess to Quotes: Following the Thread of Passion

This passion led you to another project I’m excited about: your curated book of quotations. It’s not random internet quotes—you’ve been collecting, vetting, and categorizing them since 2000. How did that take shape?

It sparked on a visit to my daughter in Colorado Springs. On the last day, she surprised me with tickets to the new Paralympic Museum. It’s beautifully curated—giant photo installations paired with short, powerful quotes. I walked out with 10 or 11 incredible lines I’d never seen before. Back home, I dug further into Olympic and Paralympic history and quickly had 20 remarkable quotes just in the sports category.

I pulled out my old notebook of quotes I’d collected for over two decades and started organizing everything by theme: Zen, motivation, success and winning, sport, leadership. The idea for a book felt obvious. And the enthusiasm I’ve seen—everyone from friends to a grocery store clerk—reminded me how deeply people connect with a great quote. They’re portable wisdom. They teach, they stabilize, they light a fire.

I love that. Quotes are tools—anchors and accelerators. And again, the pattern is the same: follow your passion, lean in, and an unexpected door opens.

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Advice for Life and Legacy

I like to ask guests this: if you had to leave listeners with one piece of advice about life, learning, and legacy—what would it be?

Get involved. Stay involved. Do different things. Get uncomfortable. Speak in front of people. Say yes to the roles that stretch you. I once served on a council in Los Angeles and had to get up and speak regularly. Butterflies? Absolutely. Do it anyway. Push yourself into the edges. Follow your passion—and doing that helps you find your purpose.

That’s gold. So many people are waiting to “discover” purpose before moving. But action creates clarity. Purpose emerges through involvement.

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How to Dive Deeper into Chess

For folks who want to explore chess right now, where should they start?

If you want the book, go to Amazon—Chess Basics is there in English and in Spanish. Beyond that, dive into YouTube. There’s a universe of content: game analyses, interviews with grandmasters, classroom-style lessons with a board and pieces on screen. The quality of teaching there is tremendous, and it’s free. Pair that with a physical board and you’ll improve fast.

And we’ll link everything in the show notes so people can find the editions easily.

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Tributes, Culture, and Why This All Matters

Before we wrap, anything else you want readers to know about the book?

Yes. Both the English and Spanish editions include a tribute to Bobby Fischer—the one I refined over 15 years. And the Spanish edition includes my piece on Carlos Torre, Mexico’s first grandmaster. Picture that 20-year-old kid in 1925 Moscow beating Emanuel Lasker—still one of the greatest to ever play—in a convincing, elegant game. It’s pure chess drama and a window into the culture and history that surrounds the board. Even non-players tell me those stories pulled them in.

That’s what I love about your work: it’s not just “how to move a knight.” It’s the living culture of chess—strategy, courage, decision-making, and the people who embodied those traits.

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Closing Thoughts

So here’s what I hope you got from this conversation. It’s never too late to start living the life you’re meant to live. Get involved. Start before you feel ready. Whether it’s chess, writing, or building a business—lean into your passions and let them guide you toward purpose. Check the show notes for links to John’s books and resources. Share this episode, tell us what you’re working on, and as always—have an amazing day. We’ll talk soon.

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About George 

George Wright III is a proven, successful entrepreneur and he knows how to inspire entrepreneurs, companies, and individuals to achieve massive results. With more than 20 years of executive management experience and 25 years of direct marketing and sales experience, George is responsible for starting and building several successful multimillion-dollar companies. He started at a very young age to network and build his experience and knowledge of what it takes to become a driven and well-known entrepreneur. George built a multi-million-dollar seminar business, promoting some of the biggest stars and brands in the world. He has accelerated the success and cash flow in each of his ventures through his network of resources and results driven strategies. George is now dedicated to teaching and sharing his Prosperity Principles and strategies to every driven and passionate entrepreneur he meets. His mission is to empower entrepreneurs globally, to create massive change and LIVE their ultimate destiny.

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George Wright III

CEO, The Daily Mastermind | Evolution X

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About John Adair:

John Adair is a writer, poet, and former Senior Loan Consultant and Real Estate Broker who has spent his life immersed in literature, music, and community service. Educated in Los Angeles, Mexico, and Switzerland, he developed a love for languages and a passion for books, once reading over 120 volumes in 14 months at the Beverly Hills Library. After the tragic loss of his brother in 1996, John turned to writing as a source of healing, later serving on the Greater Toluca Lake Neighborhood Council and contributing regularly to the Tolucan Times. Now semi-retired in Las Vegas, he continues to write poetry, essays, and translations on subjects ranging from art and literature to politics and culture.

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