Sport has much to teach the world of business about teamwork, development and leadership, as shown by the popularity of books and after-dinner speeches by former star players or coaches. Champions of inner-directed games, such as chess, may not be able to draw on similar parallels, but chess is all about decision-making against the clock, and its complex, internal processes can be very similar to those of higher management.

World champion Kasparov calls chess "an ideal laboratory for the decision-making process," and his book—which held this non-chess-player riveted to the last page—opens many windows into the laboratory, illuminating both Kasparov's own techniques and those of his famous opponents.

Tactics and strategy are explained with effortless clarity. "Chess shows us the power of 'why' in a very clear manner," writes Kasparov. "Every move has a consequence; every move either fits into your strategy or it doesn't." And he stresses that it is as important to question successful outcomes as much as it is to question failures. Chess is a great discipline because it constantly requires the player to prune the decision tree and know when to stop the process, either when the best decision has clearly been reached, or when further analysis won't return value for the time spent.

Among the best tips from the Russian grandmaster:

Don't collect and analyse too much data: decisions are often better made sooner than later;

Start with at least two options and enough time to consider them both;

"Intuition and instinct form the bedrock of our decision-making";

"I like to say that the attacker always has the advantage."

You don't have to know the game to enjoy this book, but non-players will almost certainly be tempted to learn.