Victor C. Yee is an advisor for the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona but also a respected chess player and strategist. Now, Yee discusses his strategy for chess and how the game is applicable to many aspects of life.

"Chess is about life," says Victor C. Yee, a man who is dedicated to his students at the University of Arizona but also to his love of this ancient game. "It's about strategy and thinking ahead, about conflict and resolution, and about treating others with respect. It's all about the moves, just like life is about the choices you make."

While few people these days enjoy the intricacies of chess, it is still a favorite game for those who value linear thinking, mathematics and logic. However, even right-brainers enjoy the thrill of competition inherent in a good chess match. Yee, as seen on the web at https://books.google.com/books?id=_cqZhYd6VIkC&pg=PR10&lpg=PR10&dq=Victor+C+Yee+University+of+Arizona&source=bl&ots=ZELFyZczoP&sig=H5zApMAIyQsofc3YO9WDdyhhniU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=_yUwVYT5B8e4oQSpg4GoCQ&ved=0CEMQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=Victor%20C%20Yee%20University%20of%20Arizona&f=false , has been a lifelong aficionado, with victories in many chess tournaments to his credit.

"The moves in chess are not complicated," Yee notes. "Similarly, most of the choices we make in life do not seem complicated when we are making them. However, one of the first things you learn in chess is that a simple decision can have serious consequences. This is something that people in real life seem to have forgotten, as well." Yee's comparison rings true for many young people, who often make split-second decisions that wind up costing them years of heartache.

"In my job as a college advisor for students, I often think about chess," says Yee, as seen at https://victorcyee.wordpress.com/ . "I know that chess is a difficult game but it is also relatively easy to learn to play. We come into life with some easy, basic lessons: how to walk, how to eat, how to talk. The rest is up to us, and it is in the intricate, strategic decisions that people become stalled and fearful."

"In college, it is often necessary to work with students who are unsure about their futures. They are a lot like chess players who are thinking out the next few moves. In chess, the old saying is that you should always be thinking three moves ahead. When you do, you find that you open up a number of possibilities. Life is like that too. When you plan ahead, you must often backtrack and rethink when things do not work out as planned. That does not mean, however, that you should not have a plan."

Yee, as seen at http://victorcyeeblogs.blogspot.com/ , helps his students form a plan. "When I advise college students, I try to help them see the bigger picture. It is not enough these days to 'get a college education.' Everyone is 'getting a college education.' I often ask them, 'What is your plan? What do you propose to do next year? In five years? In ten years?' If they cannot answer these questions, the chances are that they are not taking the right steps toward the future they actually want."

As Yee, as seen at http://studentadviser37.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-2.html , points out, it is always possible to change plans. "When you play chess, you often have to rethink your strategy because you failed to anticipate a move or because your opponent did something unexpected. Well, guess what? In life, unexpected things are going to come up as well."

Victor Yee, as seen at https://about.me/victorcyee , spent many years of his early childhood developing his skill at playing chess. "I started as a child learning the basics of the game, and I played many, many rounds with people of different abilities. I always tried to challenge myself because I wanted to be sure that I improved with every game if possible. That was another thing that chess taught me and which I try to pass on to my students: if you play the easy wins, you won't be prepared for the hard game. It is easy to take the bare minimum of courses, slide by with a B minus and get their diploma. Once they have, however, what is next? Slide by at work, in relationships, throughout life? One thing that chess taught me was that it is not okay to just get by. You have to continually work to be better or you are sliding behind."

As an enthusiastic chess player, Victor Yee has learned many lessons from the board that he now applies in his adult life. "Chess has made me the thinker and person that I am. I can see the game's influence in so much of what I do. I always admire great thinkers and reasoners because they remind me of the wonderful mentors I had when I began playing chess."

While today's college students may be encouraged to explore boundaries and be creative, Victor Yee brings them gently back to reality with a simple reminder. "You are going to meet an opponent in life just as you do across a chessboard, and that opponent is not rooting for you to win. In fact, he or she is doing everything possible to keep you from winning. It's nothing person; it is simply that there are some things in which there can only be one winner, like a job interview process. You are going to compete with others, and unless you understand how to build a viable strategy, it is very possible that you will not win your game. Whether you like to think of yourself as competitive or not does not matter. There are some things in life, like in chess, that are all about the moves."

About Victor C. Yee:

Victor C. Yee is a professor at the University of Arizona's Eller College of Management as well as an accomplished chess player. He works with students to ensure that they have the information they need to make good educational choices. He also supports local and regional chess playing and tournaments.

For More Information:
Victor C. Yee
Eller College of Management
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona 85721
(520) 621-2211
[email protected]
https://about.me/victorcyee