Trading Is War..Or is it?

Discussion in 'Psychology' started by PoundTheRock, Sep 3, 2003.

  1. If that's what you need to do to get it then - Oh Boy! - you must have some serious problems.... :p

    (or maybe you should try changing your approach a little?)

    Best

    Natalie
     
    #31     Sep 6, 2003
  2. Chess can be also a good metaphor as I posted in another thread for explaining the distinction between static and dynamic analysis:

    http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/editpost.php?s=&action=editpost&postid=325765

    The distinction between the two phases (static and dynamic analysis) is well described by the Grand Chessmaster Alexander Kotov in his book "Play Like a Grandmaster" see comments http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...3649-3555003?v=glance&s=books#product-details

    In this book he explains how he improved himself. It is by improving his process of analyzing combinations because he was tempted too much by making impulsive choice. To guard against impulsive play he must train himself on that particular process and after making a static analysis (evaluating the forces on the chessboard at time0) and chose his tactic (equivalent of trading plan) he must check after that as the game evolves that this game evolves according to his static analysis and this phase is the dynamic analysis phase.



     
    #32     Sep 6, 2003
  3. And if you like War metaphor Chess is also good for that see below a text from a Chess player :D

    A Civil Battle
    by Joseph Crump
    I sat facing my opponent, waiting for him to make his next move. I thought back to the beginning, how the game had started, how it had developed and progressed. Many think of chess as a civilized, relaxing activity. This chess game had felt like a savage struggle. This contest had many characteristics of an epic battle: fear and intimidation of the enemy, a tactical mistake, a desperate attack, a solid defense, mayhem and the death of a king.
    It was the final round of the State Championship. My opponent was Ivan, a Russian emigrant and a chess master. Ivan was about sixty. His leathery face was harsh and wrinkled. I remember my feelings of fear and intimidation as he spoke to me with that thick accent. Russians are renowned for their strong chess playing ability. I envisioned him as a vicious predator with decades of experience and advanced knowledge that he would use to decimate me over the chess board.
    Once the competition began, he responded almost immediately to my every move. A feeling of despair came over me as I realized that he must know this opening very well. Since he had the white pieces, he already had the advantage. One error on my part could mean instant annihilation.
    Then something almost unbelievable happened. My opponent made an error. This was not just an error but an outright blunder. The mistake would cost him a knight. I would have a strong winning advantage. I made the necessary move to prove the error, a tactical maneuver attacking the enemy king and an unprotected knight simultaneously. My antagonist did not respond instantly to this move.
    My adversary realized that he had made a devastating mistake, but he was not ready to surrender just yet. He parried the threat to his royal monarch. I captured the medieval warrior and made it my first prisoner. A static analysis of the position would show winning automatic; however, chess is dynamic. The situation is always changing. Capturing the knight had required me to disorganize my army and lose time. My opponent, for the moment, had superior control over the battlefield.
    My adversary launched an assault, a dangerous attack, a desperate raid. The foe had nothing to lose. He was pushing his pawns toward my king, like an opposing infantry marching into my territory. A storm of pawns threatened to strip my king's protection away, leaving him naked and vulnerable to the onslaught of my opponent's heavy artillery.
    I needed to hold my troops together to maintain a solid defense. Otherwise, the enemy forces' rapacious threats would crush my army like the prey of a boa constrictor. I also needed to mobilize and coordinate my men to be prepared to counterattack when the opportunity arrived. He had my troops pinned down under enemy fire. The double-edged encounter had become very complex. My heart was pounding in my chest. There were pawns to the left and pawns to the right. The soldiers were fighting in a tangled skirmish. They seemed to cry out in agony from the terror of the conflict. It was like being in the middle of an Armageddon. The prisoners-of-war stood along the side of the battlefield. They were watching their comrades, wanting to help, but powerless to intercede.
    The turmoil ended as my men broke through his defenses. I had completely neutralized his hostile aggression. His king was in mortal danger, surrounded by my forces. He had no reinforcements, no way to fend off my final assault. A rook delivered the fatal blow. There was no escape--checkmate--the evil despot was dead and victory was mine.
    I looked at my opponent as he sat, his face in his hands, deep in thought. All that remained was to clean up the bloody carnage left on the battlefield. Ivan looked up at me with a pensive expression. He reached out and toppled his king, acknowledging defeat. Then he extended his hand to offer a congratulatory handshake.
    This contest had hardly been a relaxing game. A chess game can feel like a microcosm of war, a battle in miniature or a savage struggle. Chess however, is a battle of ideas played out on a checkered board with wooden pieces. Ivan and his men went on to play again. There were no injuries, no bloodshed. This truly was a civil battle.
     
    #33     Sep 6, 2003