Feel free to read Part 1
Football and Chess: The Strategic Parallel Between Two Games
In Pep Confidential, a book by Martí Perarnau detailing Pep Guardiola’s first season at Bayern Munich, Guardiola makes a fascinating claim: the similarities between football and chess are astonishing. This assertion came after Guardiola spent a full year on sabbatical in New York, engaging in extensive discussions with Garry Kasparov. During these conversations, he also studied the playing style of Magnus Carlsen. About a year ago, Guardiola and Carlsen met, and the Norwegian chess grandmaster reaffirmed what Guardiola had believed for years: the objective in both football and chess is to dominate the center, push the opponent towards the flanks, and then exploit the positional advantage.
The essence of this strategy is about forcing the opponent to one side before suddenly switching play to the opposite flank, creating an advantage. Guardiola nodded in agreement, fully embracing the chess-like logic in football tactics. Enzo Maresca, another coach deeply influenced by tactical philosophy, sees the football pitch as a chessboard. Just like a chessboard, the field can be divided into three vertical channels—a central corridor and two wings. In both games, controlling the center is crucial because it provides the best options for attack and defense.
Football Through the Lens of Chess
In chess, almost all pieces become more effective when placed in central positions. For example, a bishop (fīl in Arabic) is not particularly useful when left in its starting position but gains far more influence when moved diagonally into the center. This mirrors the role of the inverted full-back in football, who moves diagonally from the wing into midfield, providing more options, greater attacking threat, and better protection against counter-attacks.
For years, we have likened high-level football matches between top managers to a game of chess. However, this is no longer just a metaphor. Many of the strategic concepts used in modern football originate from chess. One of the fundamental principles in chess is that no important piece should be advanced without protection, or it risks being lost. This is identical to what football now refers to as "preventive defending"—a system that allows coaches to push their teams forward while ensuring coverage against potential counterattacks.
Football teams apply this principle by structuring their positioning so that every advancing player is supported by others, just as in chess, where pieces are protected by adjacent ones. If possession is lost, a well-organized team immediately applies counter-pressing to recover the ball. Similarly, the movement of the bishop in chess is reminiscent of an inverted full-back shifting from the flank to the center, increasing both offensive options and defensive stability.
The Tactical Parallels Between Chess and Football
The similarities extend beyond just spatial control. In chess, "pinning" (forcing an opponent's piece into a restricted position) has its equivalent in football when a player forces multiple defenders into a vulnerable setup. Another chess concept, "forking," involves positioning a piece to threaten two or more of the opponent’s pieces at once. This has a direct parallel in football, where a player’s positioning can force defenders to divide their attention, opening space for teammates.
If you look at football examples, you can see these ideas in action. Consider how Kai Havertz positions himself between two midfielders, making them unsure of whether to track him or mark another player. If the roles are reversed and a team is building play, a midfielder like Alexis Mac Allister may stand between two pressing opponents to create confusion and open passing lanes.
The more you analyze, the more the similarities become evident. It’s surprising how many modern football principles originate from chess. For instance, the structured reset of play before set-pieces, throw-ins, or goal kicks mimics the way chess players reset their thinking before executing a crucial move.
The Hidden Game: Why Football Sometimes Appears Slow
One of the reasons some viewers find build-up play in football slow and tedious is that the real action isn't happening on the field—it’s happening in the players’ and coaches’ minds. In a 1991 Chess World Championship match, Swiss-Soviet grandmaster Viktor Korchnoi took one hour and 20 minutes to decide on his 13th move against Anatoly Karpov. This long pause was due to Karpov playing an unexpected move that forced Korchnoi to rethink his entire strategy.
Now, imagine the audience’s frustration during those 80 minutes. It’s the same frustration football fans feel when watching Guardiola’s teams pass sideways for long periods. The reality is that, just like Korchnoi’s deliberation, these seemingly uneventful moments are where the real battle takes place. The true game is happening in the players' and coaches' minds as they anticipate moves, manipulate space, and prepare the perfect opportunity to strike.
This is why top managers never analyze matches from the broadcast perspective—they watch from a tactical camera angle that provides a full-field view, much like observing a chessboard from above. With this angle, they can see the second and third lines of movement that are often outside the television frame. This also explains why networks now offer tactical broadcast views, allowing fans to see football from the same perspective as coaches.
Football as a Game of Delayed Gratification
One of the biggest shifts in modern football is the emphasis on structured, meticulous planning before execution. We now see teams carefully reconstruct their attacking shape before launching decisive vertical passes, just as chess players spend time calculating multiple moves ahead before executing their plan.
This is also why the seconds of slow build-up before a goal resemble the careful placement of dominoes before they fall. Most people only enjoy watching the dominoes collapse, not the tedious process of setting them up. Similarly, in football, fans get excited when a team suddenly slices through a defense with a quick pass but rarely appreciate the tactical patience that led to that moment.
The same principle explains why tactical stalemates—such as matches between Guardiola and Arteta—can feel slow and uneventful. If Adama Traoré were playing for either team, he would find it impossible to simply run into space because the entire game is happening in the players’ minds, not their legs. Every action is calculated, every move deliberate.
The Future of Football Strategy
So, what happens next? Will football continue its evolution into a hyper-structured, chess-like game? Could frustrated managers abandon complex strategies in favor of aggressive, man-to-man pressing?
Perhaps, but for now, football is firmly in the hands of chess-minded tacticians. The game is increasingly defined by intelligence rather than raw athleticism. Like in chess, strategic planning takes far longer than the execution of a move. The true challenge lies in thinking faster than the opponent—not just running faster.
This is why, if you analyze any of the breakthrough moments in football today, you’ll notice a pattern: the decisive goal or key pass often takes just seconds to unfold, yet the preparation behind it was methodically built over a much longer period. The essence of modern football is no longer about speed of movement—it’s about speed of thought.
And in a world where thinking is now the game’s most valuable currency, the chess masters of football will continue to reign supreme.
In Conclusion
The relationship between football and chess is no longer just a metaphor—it is a fundamental reality shaping the modern game. As tactical innovations continue to evolve, football has become a contest of strategic intelligence as much as physical ability. The best teams are no longer simply the fastest or strongest; they are the smartest, capable of anticipating and manipulating the game like a chess grandmaster orchestrating a series of moves. While this shift may sometimes make the game appear slower or more calculated, the ultimate payoff comes in those breathtaking moments of unexpected brilliance—the well-timed pass, the sudden tactical shift, the perfectly executed goal. In the end, football, like chess, rewards those who think several moves ahead, proving that in the modern era, speed of thought is just as important as speed of action.
Sources
The Speed of Play Paradox
How Pro Players Make Better Decisions
What Football Can Learn from Chess
Football and chess: the art of play from Crete to Berlin
Cognitive benefits of chess
“Football is like chess, but with dice”
Why Guardiola, Maresca and Salah love chess: Space, patterns and ‘controlling the centre’
Enzo Maresca, Chelsea and the chess thesis that explains his football vision