LIGHTNINGKID
Lightning Kid by Viswanathan Anand
I picked up Lightning Kid thinking it would be about chess. It is but only on the surface.
Structured into 64 short chapters, like the 64 squares of a chessboard, the book moves gently from talent to discipline, from winning to resilience, and from ambition to balance. Each chapter ends with “Vishy Says,” a small takeaway that lingers longer than expected.
What stayed with me most was a simple line: learning is your job. No matter who teaches you, nudges you, or inspires you, the responsibility to grow is yours. I also liked the idea that learning is democratic - you can learn from anyone, at any stage, if you stay curious enough. In many ways, this echoed my own journey of picking up new skills later in life and realizing that progress depends less on age or background and more on willingness.
Several chapters quietly reinforce that success is rarely dramatic. It is built on small, steady moves. Don’t give up too early. Don’t relax too soon. Prepare well. Stay humble. Keep adapting.
The final chapters, explaining each chess piece, beautifully connect personality with play — reminding us that being different can be a strength and that even the king moves one square at a time.
In the end, this book felt less about trophies and more about evolution.
And that, perhaps, is the real win.
#BookReview #LightningKid #ViswanathanAnand #LifelongLearning #PersonalGrowth
Comments
Post a Comment