--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A chess master can keep track of more…" description: "\"A chess master can keep track of more choices than the number of stars in the galaxy within an instant, but these are people that have truly learned an..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/470/sheena-iyengar-2596_chess_a-chess-master-can-keep-track-of-more-ch_1833169.png" --- # A chess master can keep track of more choices than the… ![“A chess master can keep track of more choices than the number of stars in the galaxy within an instant, but these are people that have truly learned and mastered the choices that they have and how to deal with those choices over a very, very long period of training, so essentially what they're…” quote by Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/470/sheena-iyengar-2596_chess_a-chess-master-can-keep-track-of-more-ch_1833169.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/470/sheena-iyengar-2596_chess_a-chess-master-can-keep-track-of-more-ch_1833169.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/470/sheena-iyengar-2596_chess_a-chess-master-can-keep-track-of-more-ch_1833169.png) > “A chess master can keep track of more choices than the number of stars in the galaxy within an instant, but these are people that have truly learned and mastered the choices that they have and how to deal with those choices over a very, very long period of training, so essentially what they're really doing is ruling out all the irrelevant choices and only zeroing in on the most relevant, useful choices at the moment.” [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Expert decision‑makers filter out irrelevant options, focusing on the most useful ones after extensive practice. **In simple terms:** Experts ignore irrelevant choices. Key Takeaway Practice to refine your decision filters. Themes decision making expertise focus Mood analytical motivational Type psychology self‑help When to use this quote - career development - strategic planning - education - personal productivity Key Concepts cognitive filtering skill acquisition pattern recognition Questions to Reflect On - How can you train to ignore distractions? - What habits help maintain focus? A Different Perspective Time pressure can limit thorough filtering. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chess/) [Chess Master](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chess-master-477165/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Choices Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices-long-2290587/) [Deals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deals/) [Decision making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Galaxy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/galaxy/) [Instant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instant/) [Irrelevant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irrelevant/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Master](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/master/) [Mastered Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mastered-choices-2290586/) [Masters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/masters/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Numbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/numbers/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Periods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/periods/) [Relevant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relevant/) [Ruling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruling/) [Stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stars/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Track](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/track/) [Track Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/track-choices-2290588/) [Training](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/training/) ## Related quotes > [“The choices we made, the long-forgotten decisions, the painfully unforgettable ones, are the framework of our lives, thought Alicia. All of her choices and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-frankel/the-choices-we-made-the-long-forgotten-decisions-the-painfully/) [Valerie Frankel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-frankel/) > [There are no easy choices. Easy choices are long gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/there-are-no-easy-choices-easy-choices-are-long-gone/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [In our town there was a Gestapo officer who loved to play chess. After the occupation began, he found out that my father was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-schulz/in-our-town-there-was-a-gestapo-officer-who-loved-to-play-chess-after/) [Bruno Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-schulz/) > [The stomach is an essential part of the Chess master](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bent-larsen/the-stomach-is-an-essential-part-of-the-chess-master/) [Bent Larsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bent-larsen/) > [“In chess we have the obligation to move; there is no option to skip a turn if you can’t identify a direction that suits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/in-chess-we-have-the-obligation-to-move-there-is-no-option-to-skip-a/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [I used to play a lot of chess and competitive chess and study chess and as you get to the grandmasters and learn their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainn-wilson/i-used-to-play-a-lot-of-chess-and-competitive-chess-and-study-chess/) [Rainn Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainn-wilson/) > [The chess master says nothing, other than moving the silient chess piece.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/the-chess-master-says-nothing-other-than-moving-the-silient-chess/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Every Chess master was once a beginner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-chernev/every-chess-master-was-once-a-beginner/) [Irving Chernev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-chernev/) > [The life of a chess master is much more difficult than that of an artist - much more depressing. An artist knows that someday…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/the-life-of-a-chess-master-is-much-more-difficult-than-that-of-an/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [Chess will always be the master of us all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/chess-will-always-be-the-master-of-us-all/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) > [Obviously, the person who had most influence on my career was Ken Thompson. Unix was basically his, likewise C's predecessor, likewise much of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-ritchie/obviously-the-person-who-had-most-influence-on-my-career-was-ken/) [Dennis Ritchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-ritchie/) > [The majority of people imagine a chess master as being a townsman who passes his life in an atmosphere of smoke and play in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-reti/the-majority-of-people-imagine-a-chess-master-as-being-a-townsman-who/) [Richard Reti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-reti/) > [Consequently, citizen legislators, rotating back to their communities after a short period of public service—considered an indispensable and routine characteristic and design of representative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/consequently-citizen-legislators-rotating-back-to-their-communities/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The flood of photos sweeps away the dams of memory. Never before has a period known so little about itself. In the hands of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siegfried-kracauer/the-flood-of-photos-sweeps-away-the-dams-of-memory-never-before-has-a/) [Siegfried Kracauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siegfried-kracauer/) > [The structure of the Swiss ruling class is rock-hard, and unchanged since the time of Napoleon. They sit on their mountains and lecture the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-ziegler/the-structure-of-the-swiss-ruling-class-is-rock-hard-and-unchanged/) [Jean Ziegler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-ziegler/) ## More by Sheena Iyengar > [“Personal happiness is always a very serious matter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/personal-happiness-is-always-a-very-serious-matter/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [Then, the other thing that affected my interest in choices growing up was the fact that I was going blind and that meant that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/then-the-other-thing-that-affected-my-interest-in-choices-growing-up/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [“move. For one thing, you’re going to start paying more attention. Yes, perhaps you’ll sometimes have a crazed, wild-eyed look, but that’s a price…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/move-for-one-thing-you-re-going-to-start-paying-more-attention-yes/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [What we share with animals is a desire for choice. It's a desire to have control over our life and a desire to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/what-we-share-with-animals-is-a-desire-for-choice-it-s-a-desire-to/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [You know, you take a little infant and you turn on the music mobile on their crib and you find that if you give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/you-know-you-take-a-little-infant-and-you-turn-on-the-music-mobile-on/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [I went home and they seemed... my parents seemed normal. They didn't seem to feel like somehow they had been victims of some Nazi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/i-went-home-and-they-seemed-my-parents-seemed-normal-they-didn-t-seem/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [The less control people had over their work, the higher their blood pressure during work hours. Moreover, blood pressure at home was unrelated to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/the-less-control-people-had-over-their-work-the-higher-their-blood/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [Consumers presented with six choices on an item were twice as likely to buy as consumers overwhelmed with 24 varieties of the same item.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/consumers-presented-with-six-choices-on-an-item-were-twice-as-likely/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [The quality of health care continues to improve, and people are living longer, but these developments mean that we're likely to eventually find ourselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/the-quality-of-health-care-continues-to-improve-and-people-are-living/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [The key to getting the most from choice is to be choosy about choosing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/the-key-to-getting-the-most-from-choice-is-to-be-choosy-about-choosing/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [I used to go to this store called Draeger's and you had a little bit of that same feeling because this was a store…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/i-used-to-go-to-this-store-called-draeger-s-and-you-had-a-little-bit/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [Balancing hopes, desires and an appreciating of the possibilities with a clear-eyed assessment of the limitations: that is the art of choosing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/balancing-hopes-desires-and-an-appreciating-of-the-possibilities-with/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [So gut tells you "How do I feel about this right now?" It doesn't tell me how I feel about it tomorrow or even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/so-gut-tells-you-how-do-i-feel-about-this-right-now-it-doesn-t-tell/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [I put out a good 10 different types of drinks for them and they just said, "Oh, okay, so it's just one choice." One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/i-put-out-a-good-10-different-types-of-drinks-for-them-and-they-just/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [Like, people are less likely to invest in their retirement when they have more options in their 401K plans than when they have fewer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/like-people-are-less-likely-to-invest-in-their-retirement-when-they/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) [Explore all 158 Sheena Iyengar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) ## More Chess quotes > [I have known many chess players, but among them there has been only one genius - Capablanca!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-lasker/i-have-known-many-chess-players-but-among-them-there-has-been-only/) [Emanuel Lasker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-lasker/) > [Real chessplayers think about chess more or less 24 hours a day. It is a passion and a fate that one has to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simen-agdestein/real-chessplayers-think-about-chess-more-or-less-24-hours-a-day-it-is/) [Simen Agdestein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simen-agdestein/) > [It's interesting that the greatest minds of computer science, the founding fathers, like Alan Turing and Claude Shannon and Norbert Wiener, they all looked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/it-s-interesting-that-the-greatest-minds-of-computer-science-the/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [“Relationships are chess for women," he said. "They can see the whole board, plan way ahead. They're the queens, after all. We're the kings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-lippman/relationships-are-chess-for-women-he-said-they-can-see-the-whole/) [Laura Lippman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-lippman/) > [The election of Trump threw the chess board up. The pieces are all over the place. That's upsetting to a lot of people, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-rubin/the-election-of-trump-threw-the-chess-board-up-the-pieces-are-all/) [Dave Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-rubin/) > [Playing for complications is an extreme measure that a player should adopt only when he cannot find a clear and logical plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/playing-for-complications-is-an-extreme-measure-that-a-player-should/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) > [“the shadows. “Why do you think they invented chess?” “He’s got you there,” said the captain, following Fletcher. Jake jogged slightly to catch up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-blake/the-shadows-why-do-you-think-they-invented-chess-he-s-got-you-there/) [Russell Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-blake/) > [ \[Photographer Julian Wasser\] had this great idea that I should play chess naked with Marcel Duchamp and it seem to be such a great… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-babitz/photographer-julian-wasser-had-this-great-idea-that-i-should-play/) [Eve Babitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-babitz/) > [Chess is a good mistress but a bad master.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-abrahams/chess-is-a-good-mistress-but-a-bad-master/) [Gerald Abrahams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-abrahams/) > [I am not some sort of freak. I might be very good at chess but I'm just a normal person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magnus-carlsen/i-am-not-some-sort-of-freak-i-might-be-very-good-at-chess-but-i-m/) [Magnus Carlsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magnus-carlsen/) > [Some sacrifices are sound; the rest are mine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-tal/some-sacrifices-are-sound-the-rest-are-mine/) [Mikhail Tal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-tal/) > [My parents were very supportive of my chess. When I got home after a game of chess, having missed school or something, they always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viswanathan-anand/my-parents-were-very-supportive-of-my-chess-when-i-got-home-after-a/) [Viswanathan Anand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viswanathan-anand/) > [Amberley excelled at chess - a mark, Watson, of a scheming mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/amberley-excelled-at-chess-a-mark-watson-of-a-scheming-mind/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [In high school, my sister went out with the captain of the chess team. My parents loved him... They figured that any guy that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kiley/in-high-school-my-sister-went-out-with-the-captain-of-the-chess-team/) [Brian Kiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kiley/) > [The King is a fighting piece. Use it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-steinitz/the-king-is-a-fighting-piece-use-it/) [Wilhelm Steinitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-steinitz/) [Browse all 2,003 Chess quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chess/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A chess master can keep track of more choices than the number of stars in the galaxy within an instant, but these are people that have truly learned and mastered the choices that they have and how to deal with those choices over a very, very long period of training, so essentially what they're really doing is ruling out all the irrelevant choices and only zeroing in on the most relevant, useful choices at the moment.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sheena Iyengar" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/a-chess-master-can-keep-track-of-more-choices-than-the-number-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Chess" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/a-chess-master-can-keep-track-of-more-choices-than-the-number-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/470/sheena-iyengar-2596_chess_a-chess-master-can-keep-track-of-more-ch_1833169.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/470/sheena-iyengar-2596_chess_a-chess-master-can-keep-track-of-more-ch_1833169.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/470/sheena-iyengar-2596_chess_a-chess-master-can-keep-track-of-more-ch_1833169.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A chess master can keep track of more choices than the number of stars in the galaxy within an instant, but…” — Sheena Iyengar", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Sheena Iyengar", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A chess master can keep track...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/a-chess-master-can-keep-track-of-more-choices-than-the-number-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/a-chess-master-can-keep-track-of-more-choices-than-the-number-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```